Darkened Skies
by Xenobia
Summary: *Tame version*. A FF7 AU fanfiction, chronicling the evolving relationship between Angeal and Genesis, and the events which lead up to the disaster that provokes the rise of the WEAPONS and the planet's war against her own children. Prequel to "Ashen Skies", another AU I will be re-uploading eventually. Same gender romantic content. Rated "M" for mature themes in some parts.
1. Chapter 1

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter one: prodigies

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

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**_Author's note:_**_ This is a censored version of this story. Graphic sex scenes will not be included in the version I upload here, and it will take time for me to go through each chapter and edit it to comply with Fanfiction dot net's content restrictions. You can read the uncensored version of this and my other FF7 fanfiction at the locations listed on my profile page. Be aware that this is an **Alternate Reality** fanfiction, which branches off from the original canon timeline due to some events occurring differently or not occurring at all. The main pairing in this story will be Angeal and Genesis._

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**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters. _**

* * *

His family was so broke this month that they could barely afford grain and oats. Sometimes, he would take throwaways from the market and cut out the bad parts so he and his mother could have something besides bread and porridge. He did chores for the more well off families too, like chopping wood, plowing fields or minding livestock—in exchange for a small amount of gil or a bag of food goods to take home. Sometimes, he'd even steal—which always hurt his pride as well as his heart. He never did it unless he couldn't earn food or gil and this month was one such time.

Angeal stopped on the path outside of the estate and he looked up at the plump, tempting fruit hanging from the gracefully arching branches. He licked his lips and his stomach growled. He loved dumb apples...and he only needed a few until his mother's next benefit payment came in. He looked around guiltily, hating himself for what he was about to do. He took out a piece of paper and prepared to tack it to the nearest tree. He always left the apology note when he had to steal from his neighbors to eat, but he never signed them.

After securing the note to the tree, Angeal started to climb the fence and reach for the nearest blue-violet apple.

"Leaving another 'IOU'?"

Angeal was so startled he nearly fell off the fence. He hopped down and turned to see a boy around his own age standing on the path near the road. He had collar-length auburn hair and blue-green eyes. He was smaller than Angeal, but most children in his age group were. Angeal recognized him. He was the son of the wealthy landowners Angeal had been ready to steal from, seconds ago. Other kids talked about what a snob he was. Last week, one of the larger boys in the village pushed him down in the mud and ran off, leaving the redhead to pick up his books alone. Angeal stopped and helped him, but he doubted this finely dressed, cultured boy would remember a hick like him.

"I'm sorry," Angeal apologized evenly, flushing with embarrassment even as he refused to make excuses for himself. "I was hungry. I was going to pay your family back."

The aqua gaze slid over him appraisingly and a haughty, amused smirk adorned the other boy's lips. "With what? Ink and paper?" He sounded more like a grownup to Angeal than a seven or eight year old boy.

"With _work_," insisted Angeal, "or gil...whatever comes first. I always find a way to earn it."

"Hmph. We have servants to do the work around the estate and your meager coin won't make a dent in the treasury." The redhead narrowed his eyes on him. "You're familiar. I think I've seen you around the village."

"You have," answered Angeal with a nod. "You...uh...dropped your books on the ground last week and I picked one of them up for you."

The other boy digested that information and then he scowled slightly. "I didn't 'drop' anything. That filthy bumpkin knocked them out of my hand."

Angeal supposed that as a 'bumpkin' himself, he should have been offended by the contemptuous words. However, Rhapsodos hadn't actually called _him_ any rude names yet and the boy from last week did bully him without provocation. Still, he felt he should remind this pampered prince he was talking to one of the poor folk he seemed to hold so much derision for.

"Yeah, you've got to watch out for us bumpkins." He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the fence. "We were all raised in barns."

For a moment, the redhead looked gravely offended and Angeal was sure he was going to go running off to his parents to identify him as an apple thief. His expression changed after a few seconds and a hint of a smile curved his lips.

"It takes some brains to use decent sarcasm. Maybe you aren't as dumb as the others."

Again, Angeal tried to get offended, but even the common kids in town snubbed him because his family was so poor. It was hard to muster any umbrage on their behalf.

Angeal shrugged. "Maybe."

The redhead seemed intrigued again. "Who are you?"

"Angeal Hewley. I live on the second street by the market. What's your name?" He already knew the kid's surname but he had no idea what his given name was.

"Genesis Rhapsodos," answered the redhead. He gestured at the estate up the winding path on the hill. "You already know where _I_ live."

Angeal shrugged. If it made the other boy feel important to point it out, so be it. "Well, I'm sorry about the apples. I won't take any more."

"But what about the ones you've already taken before?" demanded Genesis when Angeal turned to leave. "You still owe us for those."

Angeal bit his lip, troubled. He couldn't very well cough up what he'd already eaten weeks ago. "Well...what do you need done that the servants can't do for you? Like I said, I'm willing to work for what I've taken."

Genesis appeared to think about it, but Angeal suspected by the sly look in his eyes that he already knew what he was going to ask for. He waited patiently while the redhead deliberately procrastinated. Finally, when it became apparent that he wasn't going to rattle him, Genesis made his demand.

"You can be my personal servant."

Angeal stared at him. "What?" He began to revise his opinion that the other boy talked like an adult.

"That's the deal. You be my personal servant for...a month...and I won't tell my parents you've been stealing our dumb apples."

While Angeal was generally a patient and practical boy, he did have some pride. "You have enough servants."

"Do you want to be announced as a thief?"

Angeal clenched his jaw before sighing. "What do you want me to do as your...servant?"

Genesis smiled, looking pleased with himself. "You can carry my books when I go into town, clean my boots and recite plays with me."

"Recite...plays?" Angeal could think of other things he'd rather do with his time. "Couldn't I just be your bodyguard instead? You know...keep other kids from picking on you like that boy did last week?"

Genesis flushed indignantly and glared at him. "I don't _need_ a bodyguard. I can take care of myself. That...bilge rat was just lucky I was more concerned with my books than putting him in his place!"

_~Oh boy,~_ thought Angeal, _~maybe I should just turn myself in.~_

He seriously considered it when he imagined himself spouting poetry and acting out plays with this odd rich boy, but a part of him was curious, too. It might be the closest thing to a friendship he could ever have in Banora.

"Okay. You have a deal."

Genesis looked at him with both eyebrows raised. "Oh? Even with the play recitals?"

Angeal smiled impulsively, finding the redhead's surprised expression amusing. "Yes, if that's what it's going to take."

Genesis regarded him a bit warily, as if suspecting him of teasing. "Okay, then. Uh...meet me here tomorrow, as soon as you get out of school."

Angeal nodded. "Where do you go to school at? I never see you at the building."

"I'm home schooled," answered Genesis.

The answer didn't surprise Angeal. Lots of the rich kids in town were schooled by tutors at home. "See you tomorrow, Genesis."

As he turned to leave for the second time, Genesis stopped him again. Angeal rolled his eyes a little before turning to face the other boy once more. A large, ripe dumb apple was sailing through the air toward him in an arch. Angeal quickly caught it, his reflexes reacting without conscious effort. He looked from the fruit in his hands to the other boy, puzzled.

"I have to keep my servant fed," explained Genesis with a little smile. There was even a playful twinkle in his eyes. "How can you carry my things if you're weak with hunger? I'll see you tomorrow, Hewley."

Angeal smiled hesitantly back. Something in the other boy's eyes and actions led him to think he was trying to be nice, in his own way. "Thanks."

He ate the apple on his way home and every day for the next month, he met up with Genesis as agreed and he did every mundane, silly or even annoying thing the redhead asked of him. Sometimes, he thought Genesis was purposely trying to see how far he could push him before he snapped. Angeal stoically put up with it all because he found Genesis interesting and funny, even if he _was_ a snob. He discovered they both liked swordplay and even after his "indentured time" was up, he and Genesis met every day to spar, play and trade ideas.

* * *

Angeal never again stole a dumb apple from the Rhapsodos property and Genesis always brought one to share with him when they got together. Before either of them knew it, they became fast friends—despite being polar opposites. They grew from boys to men together and when the time came, they left Banora to join SOLDIER, at the invitation of ShinRa Inc. Little did they know, their fluke friendship couldn't have been more convenient for the people keeping tabs on them.

Sixteen years after that first fateful meeting in front of the Rhapsodos estate, Genesis went missing and he took with him several 2nd and 3rd class SOLDIER operatives. He was pronounced a deserter and his only two friends, Angeal and Sephiroth, refused to believe it until they had proof for themselves. Eventually, a lead was confirmed and Angeal got the opportunity to find his old friend and discover what really happened.

* * *

Angeal was roused from dreams of his childhood by Lazard's call. The director asked him to come to his office immediately, to discuss a security matter. Not one to dawdle when given a direct order, Angeal changed into his uniform immediately and went to Lazard's office. The blond director appeared to be deep in thought when Angeal walked in. He was sitting at his desk and looking at something he'd brought up on his data screen. He looked up at the tall Soldier and told him something that gave him hope.

"We think we have a location on Genesis."

Angeal's heart lurched in his chest upon hearing those words. He moved around behind Lazard's desk to look over the director's shoulder at the data screen. "Where?"

Lazard tapped some info into the computer and brought up a map on the screen. "There have been sightings reported from three different areas, all around Wutai. Our initial suspicions were correct. He's simply avoided detection from the search teams sent there."

"Why would he stay near Wutai, knowing he's being searched for?" Angeal murmured the question as much to himself as to the Director.

"Perhaps he _wants_ to be seen," mused Lazard. "Rhapsodos was ever the arrogant Soldier."

Angeal gave the director a less-than-friendly look, though he couldn't deny his assertion that Genesis was indeed arrogant. He wasn't so narcissistic that he would risk capture just to gloat over his successful "theft" of several 2nd and 3rd class Soldiers, however. There was more to his disappearance than a snap decision to go AWOL, Angeal was certain of it. He looked at Lazard and he wondered if the man knew more than he was letting on. Someone was hiding something, or there was more happening beneath the surface than anyone could guess.

"He's after something," Angeal said after a moment's thought. It made sense to him and he nodded slowly, looking at the sighting marks on the screen. "These are all on the outskirts of the main city. Where was Sephiroth stationed, when he was sent on his last Wutai mission?"

"To the same area," answered Lazard. "But he was on a separate mission. He was the one to report it when Genesis and his group failed to rendezvous with him at the appointed time."

Angeal nodded, hardly surprised that there was no help from that quarter. Even on his best days, Sephiroth was reclusive and he rarely shared information unless specifically asked or ordered to. They hadn't had the chance to speak since Genesis went missing and like Angeal, Sephiroth was doing everything possible to keep himself busy while the search was on. It was just easier, that way. It made them both feel less helpless.

"Have you contacted Sephiroth about these sightings?"

Lazard shook his head. "No, but he's been sent the information. He's already on his way to Wutai on a mission that will hopefully help end this war, if he succeeds. I would like you to front the investigation on Genesis, there. As his closest friend, I think you may have a better chance of finding out what's really going on than anyone. I'll be coming along for evaluative purposes and you can choose an operative of your choice as your mission partner."

Angeal could only think of one other person besides his fellow officers that he would want at his side. "Then I'll bring Zackary Fair, a 2nd I've been grooming for officer status. He's been rising through the ranks fast and his skills are unmatched by anyone else in his class."

Lazard removed his wire-rimmed glasses and wiped off the lenses. "You sound very impressed with him, Sergeant Hewley. Do you think he's 1st material?"

"Absolutely." Angeal nodded. "In fact, I'd like to recommend him for 1st, should he do well on this mission."

"I'll take that into consideration."

* * *

Zack was, of course, thrilled to hear the news that he would be joining Angeal on the mission to Wutai. He was even happier to learn that his mentor had recommended him for a promotion in the ranks. Angeal had to push the enthusiastic young man away when Zack impulsively hugged him and blurted: "I love you man!" after getting the news. The slightly hurt look Zack gave him made Angeal feel like he'd kicked a puppy. When they were alone in the locker room retrieving their gear, Angeal took a moment to try and explain why he was so on edge.

"This is _serious_, Zack," admonished Angeal. He checked his guns and ammo before securing them. While the sword was the signature weapon of a SOLDIER operative, one never could tell when firearms might become a necessary alternative.

"Not only could this mission potentially help end the war with Wutai, but it may clear the name of someone important to me. Do you understand?" Angeal looked at his protégé searchingly, holding his eyes.

Zack calmed down and he set his broadsword down on the bench. He nodded soberly at Angeal, his amethyst gaze curious and sympathetic. He'd only met Genesis in passing so far, but he was aware that the redhead was Angeal's friend. "I know you guys are tight and you've been worried about him, Ange. I've got your back, whatever happens."

Angeal smiled at him fondly and he indulged in a moment of brotherly affection, reaching out to ruffle Zack's fluffy raven hair. "Just remember to listen to orders, Zack. I don't want to worry about you getting reckless on me."

Zack nodded. "Sure thing."

* * *

Things did not go well with the mission. Wutai soldiers jumped them on their way to the rendezvous point and Angeal shouted for Zack to get Lazard to safety, while he held them off. Zack started to argue with him but Angeal cast a furious look of warning at him and reminded him of his promise to obey orders.

"Your priority is to protect the director from attack! Get out of here _now_, Zack! I'll be fine!"

The younger operative gave him one last, worried look before taking Lazard by the arm and ushering him off the road, into the bushes. Angeal raised his broadsword just in time as the first enemy got in range and opened fire on him. He deflected the bullets with practiced skill; his blade throwing sparks as the slugs ricocheted off it. The enhanced steel was strong enough to take the ringing hits without breaking and Angeal closed in on his first target quickly, still deflecting the bullets meant to tear into his flesh. He felt a slug hit the protective body armor around his torso and he grunted as it absorbed the impact. Two of the other Wutai troops had come into range and they were adding their efforts to the first.

Angeal didn't spout off smart-ass comments as he fought, as Zack would have. He didn't perform fancy flurries like Genesis, nor did he slice things with razor-like precision like Sephiroth. Angeal's style was more like a freight train coming out of nowhere. He didn't speak as he fought—he only issued a grunt here and there. He struck with brutal force and his opponents rarely recovered from the first hit in time to retaliate before they were dispatched.

There was an audible crunch of something internal breaking as Angeal slammed into the first trooper with his shoulder. He struck out with his sword at the same time, cutting a broad gash in the second target's armor and drawing a spray of blood. His fist punched out at the third, hard enough to crack the protective mask connected to his helmet and send him staggering.

Though Angeal wasn't as fast as his associate operatives, the power of his attack made up for it and it all happened in only three seconds. He drove his broadsword into the first victim's chest just as the other five closed in. Angeal leaped into the air to avoid an explosive lobbed at him and he felt something strange. There was an odd ache around his right shoulder blade, and he wondered if he'd been hit without realizing it. He had no time to check, because two of his enemies threw nets at him the minute he touched down again and he was forced to roll away.

He sprung to his feet quickly after avoiding capture and he threw his sword abruptly at the nearest troop. As it spun end-over-end through the air at its target, Angeal drew both his guns from the holsters at his thighs and he fired several rounds at the troopers on either side of the initial target. Two troopers went down with holes in their throats, seconds before a third was literally skewered to the tree behind him by the blade of Angeal's spinning sword.

Angeal didn't pause. He fired several rounds to force the rest of his opponents to seek cover and he closed in on the nearest ones as quickly as possible. He was out of ammo by the time he reached the first, but he used the hapless trooper as a weapon to make up for it. He picked the man up bodily and hurled his struggling form directly into the ranks of his remaining fellows. While they tried to sort out the tangle of limbs, Angeal went for his sword—still impaled in its victim. A gun fired just as his hand was about to close over the hilt and he was forced to withdraw it and dodge.

Now the only weapons he had immediately available were his own body and his beloved family heirloom, the Buster Sword. Angeal sighed at the thought of subjecting the big sword to possible wear and tear, but situations like this warranted its use. He drew the huge, heavy-bladed sword and he tore into his enemies, taking a couple of kicks and punches in the process. His weapon flashed in the moonlight as he hacked with it, smashing ribs more often than cutting flesh, due to the nature of the Buster Sword. Genesis used to call it a battering ram.

Finally, Angeal stood alone and unchallenged, standing over a group of scattered bodies. He caught his breath and once he was sure no more enemies were coming, he took a quick moment to wipe his Buster Sword off with the polishing cloth he had rolled up in one of his pant pockets. After giving the blade a quick wipe-down and inspection, he replaced it in its holder at his back and he started to retrieve his other sword. As he stepped over one of the still bodies, he noticed that the helmet was half off and something about the shape of the man's exposed jaw and mouth gave him pause.

Angeal squatted down beside the trooper with a frown, feeling an odd sense of foreboding. He lifted the helmet the rest of the way off and his eyes widened when he saw the face of his missing friend, void of expression in death.

"Gaia...what have I _done_?"

Angeal immediately gathered the man into his arms, his rational mind deserting him in the face of shock, grief and horror. "Genesis...how...why?"

His vision swam with tears as Angeal touched the still, sculpted features of the cocky, arrogant poet he'd grown up with. He hardly noticed the returning ache in his shoulder; all he could think of was that he'd just killed the man that he'd come there to try and protect in the first place. The confusion and pain he felt overcame his common sense—otherwise he might have questioned why Genesis would have gone through that entire fight without speaking to him...even to taunt him. He might have wondered why his friend would have joined Wutai troops and attacked him to begin with. Most of all, he might have found it curious that he could have so easily beaten Genesis Rhapsodos in a fight, without the man even raising a blade against him.

It was an even bigger shock to his senses when he heard the voice of the man he'd just killed speak to him from the path up ahead of him.

"I never tire of seeing you fight, old friend. I only wish I had arrived to watch it from the beginning."

Angeal looked up from the body he held and stared openly at the speaker—who he hadn't heard approach. Clad in his signature red and black leather ensemble, Genesis Rhapsodos stood on the gravel road before Angeal. His red-bladed sword was naked in his right hand and the tip pointed down in a neutral manner. The flash of Mako in his aqua eyes and the crooked little smirk on his face gave every indication that it was in fact Genesis.

"I would have lent you a hand," Genesis went on, walking slowly over the bodies with that smirk still on his face, "but I knew you could deal with these on your own."

Angeal looked down at the body he held again and he gave a start when he saw that the lock of hair escaping from beneath the helmet was ashen gray. He made himself gently push one of the eyelids up so that he could look at the color of the eyes. Even in death, they should have retained a subtle glow from the Mako—but these were dull as any common human eyes.

Genesis stopped before Angeal and knelt, speaking softly to him. "It's not _me_, Angeal. You can stop looking so…guilty."

Angeal gently laid the body on the ground and shut the eyes again before lifting his gaze to stare at his friend, who looked so much like a ghost to him in the pale moonlight. "I thought I'd killed you."

Genesis gave a nod and glanced down at the body with flashing, aqua eyes. "I can see that." He looked at the big man again and tilted his head a bit, his brows furrowing. "Although I must admit, I'm a little insulted that you'd believe I would go down so easily. It's as if you don't know me at all."

"Genesis," Angeal's voice cracked and he swallowed and tried again. "What's going _on_? Why does this man look like you and what have you done with the other Soldiers?"

"You're looking at the other Soldiers, right now," answered Genesis with a general nod at the carnage. "As for why they look like me—"

"Wait…'they'?" Angeal felt like he was losing his mind.

"I gather you haven't checked under the hood of these other vehicles," Genesis said dryly. "Go ahead, Hewley."

Hearing the dead men referred to as "vehicles" was chilling enough in itself, but the eager look in Gen's eyes and the tense stance was even more disturbing. Something was terribly wrong with the redhead and because he needed to find out what, Angeal did as advised and checked the identities of the other men.

Every single one of them looked like a copy of Genesis, in the face. They had been easily mistaken for Wutai troops due to their body armor, but Angeal was able to locate ID tags tucked into the body armor of one of them and he recognized the SOLDIER emblem and name.

"Private Riley," Angeal read aloud, frowning. He remembered a blond recruit by that name—which looked nothing like Genesis. He looked up at the man who had once been his friend and he slowly got to his feet, wondering if he would have to draw raise his weapon against him. The thought of fighting his friend for real made him sick to his stomach.

"How did this happen, Genesis?" Angeal's expression was grim and his tone was flat. "What did you do?"

Genesis' cold expression faltered for a moment, revealing bitterness and anger. "This happened because they did it to them too. These men underwent some of the same procedures that they did on you, Sephiroth and I, Angeal. I was able to alter them because…because they were already infected. This thing in me…wants to multiply. It's in you, as well."

Angeal knew he was staring at his friend like he was stark, raving mad, but he couldn't quite conceal his concern and doubt. He tried to keep his voice calm and he attempted to reason with Genesis, fearing something had been done to him that made him delusional. "What 'thing' are you talking about, Genesis? A virus? Are you saying the organization infected us with something during our Mako treatments?"

Genesis gave him a tragic little smile, his face softening slightly. "One could never accuse you of being overly observant, Angeal, but you have a way of stumbling onto the truth without even trying. Yes, they put a virus into us. They did it to Sephiroth, too. Our whole lives, we've been nothing but experiments…monsters. They wanted to re-create Minerva's chosen ones, but…"

Genesis touched his forehead as if pained by a headache, and then he made an out-sweeping, graceful gesture with his left arm. Feathery blackness erupted out from behind Genesis, originating from somewhere around his left shoulder. Angeal stared in bewilderment at the giant, sweeping raven's wing that spread gracefully, spanning several feet as it stretched out.

"They created monsters," finished Genesis softly, opening his eyes to look at Angeal. Seeing how stunned he was, the redhead approached him. Angeal tore his eyes off the single, perfect wing and looked at his friend's face as Genesis stopped before him.

"This…is going to happen to Sephiroth and I too?" Angeal asked, trying to understand and unable to deny what his own eyes were seeing.

"Most likely," answered Genesis, "although, I can't be sure about Sephiroth. You and I were deemed failures and cast away. They used us and discarded us. They handed me over to strangers and they left you and your mother to fend for yourselves. We were nothing but throwaways to them…unlike their precious General."

"Wait," pleaded Angeal. "I don't understand."

"You will," promised Genesis. He pulled something out from the hidden folds of his jacket, and a first Angeal thought it was his most prized book: his copy of "Loveless". Instead, it was a bundle of what appeared to be some kind of documents, bound together in a leather case.

"The answers are all here," Genesis told him, displaying the paperwork to Angeal before replacing it in the inner pocket of his coat.

"And how did you get them? What's this about 'degeneration'?"

Genesis looked away, his gaze going to one of the gray-haired copies lying on the path. "That day I got nicked when the three of us sparred," he explained, "the wound wouldn't heal completely. It kept getting worse and though it doesn't hurt or bleed, I can feel it draining the life from me. Sephiroth wasn't a suitable donor because his cellular makeup is different from you and I."

"What about me, then?" Angeal pressed, forgetting his own potential danger in his concern for Genesis. "Did my donation do anything for you?"

"No." Some of the madness faded from Genesis' eyes and a bit of warmth briefly sparked in them. "Your cells are just as faulty as mine. It did as much good as trying to put out a lit match with another lit match. We're going to deteriorate eventually, Angeal. Just like these poor bastards." He made a sweeping gesture at the bodies. "I sent them out to take care of who was tracking me. If I'd known it was _you_, I would have chosen a different path."

Angeal's expression hardened. He still didn't comprehend everything his friend was telling him, but he _did_ understand that Genesis had somehow controlled the hapless Soldiers he'd taken with him and sentenced them to death in the process.

"You did this to them. Why? Just to see if you could?" Angeal's voice rose. "You murdered your fellow Soldiers and you made me your accomplice by sending them after us! Tell me _why_, Genesis!"

"They were already dead!" Genesis yelled the explanation back at him, his features twisting into a rage. "These men have been infused with the same cells they put into _us_. Someone has been fucking around with SOLDIER candidates, keeping it off record. These men were doomed before I did a thing. I just enhanced them with my cells, to give them the power to strike back at them."

"Who?" growled Angeal. "Who were they supposed to strike back at?"

"ShinRa, of course! Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"In this case, you might!"

Genesis took a deep breath before exhaling again and speaking with forced calm. "The biological research department. Hojo and four other scientists started a project called 'Jenova'. You, Sephiroth and I were all products of this experiment. Three of the other scientists have been missing for years, so that leaves only Hojo and Professor Hollander…who happens to be _your_ biological father."

Angeal shook his head and frowned deeply at Genesis. His mother told him that his father was a poor fisherman who…died at sea…

"I can tell you're questioning whatever anecdotal story your mother fed to you about your origins," Genesis guessed. "I have the proof, Hewley. You have to come with me. Hollander has promised a cure, but we need to build an army and take down ShinRa for him to access the resources he needs."

"This is madness," Angeal murmured. "I…need to think."

Genesis stepped closer to him, again capturing his gaze. His expression was earnest…seductive. "You feel it too, don't you?" whispered Genesis. "The cells are waking up inside of you."

One of Angeal's most closely guarded secrets was how often he fantasized about Genesis standing so close to him, speaking in a seductive voice with his eyes full of invitation and intensity. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, though. Despite how wrong the situation was, Angeal felt a shiver race through him, prompted as much by Gen's strange words as by the feel of his breath caressing his jaw. That peculiar ache bothered his right shoulder again and he rotated it uncomfortably. Genesis' mouth was so close…all he had to do was lower his head and lean in—

Thoughts of how inappropriate his urges were abruptly ceased as a burst of pain flared through his shoulder, followed immediately by the unmistakable sound of rending cloth. One of the buckles on his body armor popped open as something grew out of his back. Angeal cried out in pain and confusion, and Genesis supported him to keep him from falling to the ground.

"I…had almost hoped I was wrong," whispered Genesis when Angeal righted himself. The smaller man pulled away from him and stepped back, looking him over with curious, regretful eyes. He said something then that Angeal had only heard from his mouth two or three times since first meeting him. "I'm sorry, Angeal."

Still dazed and disoriented, Angeal gingerly felt along his back as best he could, trying to determine what he'd grown. "Tell me what it is, Genesis," he demanded hoarsely. "Tell me what I've grown! A wing, like yours?"

"A wing, yes," answered Genesis, looking him over with a touch of awe on his face. "Two, actually. Not like mine, though. You have a large one and a smaller one beneath it…both white."

Angeal tried to twist around to see it, working muscles he wasn't accustomed to as it stretched out and flapped.

"Come _with_ me, Angeal," urged Genesis. "This is proof that you'll suffer the same fate as me, if we don't find a cure."

Torn between loyalty to his friend, his organization and his honor, Angeal shook his head. "I can't. I won't fight my allies, Genesis. I—"

"Angeal?" A young man's voice called out from the separate path leading into the woods. "I'm coming, man! I've got your back!"

"Shit," Genesis snapped, giving Angeal a glare. "You brought the puppy."

"Don't start anything with Zack," warned Angeal. "He doesn't know anything about this."

Genesis briefly looked conflicted, his gaze flicking to the sky visible through the trees' canopy. "Don't make me fight you, Angeal. This has to be done."

"I don't want to fight you either," replied Angeal, "but I won't allow you to harm my student. You can't expect me to just turn on everyone, Genesis!"

Genesis hesitated, glancing at the other path as Zack's calls came closer. He looked at Angeal and his inner struggle was visible in his eyes. "Good luck then. If you change your mind, I'm confident you'll know where to seek me out."

With that said, Genesis spread his single black wing, looked up at the sky and launched himself into the air. Angeal watched as he ascended to above the canopy and flew away. He flexed his own mutations, wondering how it was possible for _anyone_ to fly with a wing or even two on only one side. Genesis evidently had no problem with it.

He felt the warning signs of shock and he focused inwardly, practicing a quick meditation exercise for calm. He couldn't afford to panic or go into a rage. He needed answers…he needed to think!

"Angeal!"

The tall Soldier looked in the direction the voice was coming from. Zack would arrive on the scene at any moment. Sephiroth was due to arrive for the appointed rendezvous as well. Angeal didn't know what to do, but he knew that he couldn't let Zack or Sephiroth to see him in this condition. He couldn't let Genesis go off on his own, either. Not that Angeal was in an ideal state of mind himself right now, but Gen was determined to start a war and apparently, Hollander was involved in it.

Angeal made the only choice he could at the moment; he dove into the bushes and ran away from the path, into the woods. His stealth training availed him little as his cumbersome new wing crashed against the underbrush that he tried to navigate. The foremost thing on his mind was to get away from his allies as quickly as possible. He had the good sense to pause, take his cellphone out and smash it to bits against a rock before moving on. He kept his heading in the general direction he'd seen Genesis fly, his mind drawing a map for him of the landscape.

* * *

"Angeal! I'm here to—"

Zack charged onto the scene and nearly tripped over one of the scattered bodies.

"—Help," he finished, looking around in bewilderment. He recognized Angeal's handiwork when he saw it, but there was no sign of the big man anywhere.

Zack kept his sword ready and a wary eye out on the shadows as he stepped over the sprawled victims. He moved among them with his heart in his throat, half-expecting to find his mentor lying somewhere amongst them. Still suffering problems with keeping his voice down and his impulses under control, Zack started yelling for Angeal again.

"Ange, if you're out there, say something! If you're hurt I can—mmph!"

A black-gloved hand clamped down over Zack's mouth, interrupting his final sentence. He smelled leather and musk and he caught a glimpse of silvery hair dropping over his arm before he twisted in his ambusher's hold and the man abruptly let go of him, leaving him to stumble. Zack caught his balance and turned to face the threat, only to find himself staring at the silver-haired general of SOLDIER.

"Your shouting is going to attract unwanted attention," said the general.

"Sephiroth," Zack gasped, affectively awed. He'd seen him around before, but never this close. Sephiroth's impossibly long, silver hair stirred in the wind and he watched Zack with expressionless, serpentine eyes.

"Angeal was here," Zack said, gathering his wits. "We got jumped and he told me to get the director to safety while he held them off."

"So he did," replied Sephiroth in a resonant murmur. His startling emerald gaze went to the bodies all around them, doing a quick count. "Is Director Lazard safe?"

Zack nodded. "Yeah, he's back at the chopper under guard. I came back to help Angeal, but I can't find him anywhere."

Sephiroth looked down at one of the bodies and he delicately moved its broken helmet aside with the long, thin blade of his masamune. He frowned at the face staring blankly up at him and he gestured Zack closer. Wary but curious, Zack relaxed his stance and joined Sephiroth's side.

"That's…Genesis!"

Sephiroth shook his head. "No, it isn't. This is a copy. The real Genesis is still at large."

Zack stared at him and then he looked around at the rest of the bodies. "A copy? Like a clone?"

"Yes. All of them are." Sephiroth checked to be sure and he nodded, his angelic countenance tense and grim.

"What's going on?" demanded Zack. "We have to find Angeal!"

Sephiroth mused over one of the copies before kneeling and checking the tags around its throat. He pulled them free and clenched them in his hand, narrowing his eyes. "I suspect Angeal has gone AWOL too."

* * *

Zack vehemently denied that Angeal could ever be a deserter or a traitor, but he couldn't be reached on his cell and all evidence pointed to desertion thus far…just like Genesis. The young Soldier tried hard to keep his mind off his missing mentor or the strange Genesis copies he'd seen. The department was keeping everything hush-hush and Sephiroth was about as talkative as a corpse when Zack tried to engage in conversation about it with him. Flirting with girls helped, but all the pleasant female company in the world couldn't make him forget his worry for Angeal or his nagging curiosity.

Something was definitely going on, and he wasn't the only one trying to work out what that could be. His friend Kunsel had a freakish knack for getting information without anyone noticing. How he did it, Zack could never be sure, but he always found something useful. After a couple of weeks, Kunsel sent Zack a text stating that he might have found something, but he wasn't sure what.

Zack read the text message and he frowned. "Who the hell is 'Jenova'?"

* * *

-To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter two: MIA

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note:_**_ Angst here! Get your red-hot angst here! Now with improved flavor! _

* * *

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters. _**

* * *

A month passed. Zack kept trying to contact Angeal intermittently; in the off chance that he might actually get an answer. He went on missions as assigned and he tried to keep his spirits up, certain that Angeal was still alive and had a good reason for vanishing like he did. Sephiroth began to train with him, taking up where Angeal left off to help Zack hone his skills in preparation for the day he would be promoted. There was little doubt that day was coming, though Lazard wouldn't give an estimate on exactly when that might be or what conditions Zack needed to meet.

Sephiroth wasn't talkative, but that didn't bother Zack. Angeal hadn't been particularly talkative, either. The one thing about the general that bothered Zack a little was his apparent coldness. He wasn't void of personality or anything, he just seemed to lack human empathy. Combined with his unearthly looks and strange eyes, this made Sephiroth seem like he wasn't really part of humanity, to Zack. He knew the man must have some sentiment buried deep down inside of him, to have taken him under his proverbial wing in honor of Angeal. He was clearly capable of forming friendship bonds with people; it just took more work.

Eventually, Seph began to open up a little and Zack found it easier to interact with him. Not even Sephiroth was immune to Zack's special charm and eventually; the two of them began to have actual conversations during training and when running into each other off-duty.

One day after sparring together, Zack decided to mention some of the odd research information his friend Kunsel had stumbled onto. They had just finished showering and they were in the locker room together, retrieving fresh uniforms to change into. Zack fought off a playful streak as he removed the towel around his waist and instead of popping Sephiroth with the towel as his impulses urged him to do; he wisely dropped it on the bench and pulled his underwear on. Sephiroth politely looked away, busying himself with laying out his various garments.

"Hey Seph, have you ever heard of something called the 'Jenova project'?"

Sephiroth froze with his leather coat halfway out of the locker. He looked at Zack sidelong, his emerald gaze shrouded behind damp, silver bangs and long lashes of the same hue. Zack took an involuntary step back, unsettled by the intense, haunted look in those normally opaque eyes.

"So...you've heard of it, right?" guessed Zack uncomfortably, suddenly wishing he could take his question back.

Sephiroth abruptly shifted his gaze to his clothing and turned his back on Zack. "Jenova...was my mother's name." He removed his towel and began putting his pants on. His nudity was veiled by his long hair as he pulled his pants up.

Zack raised his eyebrows. "Oh. I thought it sounded like a girl's name, but then I wondered how you could inject a girl into someone." He started putting the rest of his uniform on.

Sephiroth paused again and looked over a shoulder at Zack with a frown.

"What'd I say?" demanded Zack at last, squirming under that steady look.

Sephiroth finished fastening his pants. He turned to face Zack as he reached for his harness straps. "I don't know what sort of information you stumbled upon, Zackary, but it isn't physically possible to 'inject a girl into someone'."

Zack checked his reflection in the mirror on his open locker door as he started putting gel into his hair. "Yeah, well...this old file I ran across said something about injecting people with Jenova to give them special powers. Sounds like something from a comic book, to me."

Sephiroth began to put on his weapon harness, his expression unreadable. "The information you read was likely referring to injecting subject with the _cells_ of Jenova...not the whole woman." He tightened the straps crossing over his chest and he reached for his leather coat. "Where exactly did you get this...information, Zack?"

"Someone sent it to me." Zack shrugged.

Sephiroth remained as he was; shirtless with his coat in his arms. "_Who_ sent you this information, and why?"

Zack felt the feline gaze boring into him and he had a horrible feeling that if he told the General the truth, Kunsel might get into trouble. "Just some random fan. I...uh...guess they thought it was cool. Don't ask me where they stumbled on it because I honestly couldn't tell you."

"Random fan?" Sephiroth raised an elegant, silver brow.

"Yeah. Didn't you know? All the SOLDIER officers have a fan base. I guess I've got one too because I hang out with you and Angeal so much. Cool, huh?"

"No," denied Sephiroth. He slipped into his jacket and pulled his hair out the back of it. "It's pathetic."

"You think it's pathetic to be admired?" Zack finished applying the gel to his hair and he retrieved his blow dryer and comb.

"I think it's a waste of time that people could be spending on more important things—such as bettering themselves."

Zack shrugged. "Boy, were they wrong about you."

"Who?"

"Some of the fans. Last time I checked the chat boards, there was a raging debate happening over whether you're stuck on yourself or not. You're obviously not, since you don't care about what people think of you."

Sephiroth didn't seem phased. He checked his masamune blade for kinks before sliding his boots on and buckling them. "They can debate whatever they want. Meanwhile, I have work to do."

"You should check out the fan club sometime, Seph," Zack suggested as the general finished his preparations and started to leave the locker room. "It's called 'Silver Elite'!"

"Focus on your training, Zack," Sephiroth called over his shoulder as he walked out the double-doors. "Not internet chat rooms."

Zack chuckled softly and picked up his hairstyling tools, looking around for a power outlet. "I think I'm starting to get him, Angeal. He's not easy to crack, though." He frowned as he mentally reviewed the conversation. It was an odd coincidence that Sephiroth's mother had the same name as the project Kunsel told him about, but what really interested Zack was the way Seph referred to his mother in past tense. He wondered what happened to her.

* * *

Sephiroth went to his quarters, deciding to eat in solitude as he thought some things over. He found that he didn't have an appetite after all, once he checked his mini-fridge and stared blankly at the unappealing foodstuffs inside. He took a seat at his desk and he sighed, his gaze settling on the blank screen of his computer.

"He wasn't lying," Sephiroth mused softly, "but he wasn't telling me the entire truth, either. Interesting."

_~They ALL lie, my son. It's in their nature._~

Sephiroth's frown deepened and he tried to shut the voice out. She was strong, today. Though her presence was comforting to him, her efforts to influence his actions, thoughts and feelings weren't lost on him.

He thought of his fellow officers and he wondered what they were planning. A childish part of Sephiroth resented his only friends for taking off without him, leaving him in the dark about whatever it was they were trying to do. The practical side of him reminded himself that Angeal and Genesis had grown up together and would always have a special bond, as a result. They weren't really "shutting him out", he was certain of it. This wasn't about being spiteful to him. Sephiroth had a chilling suspicion that like himself, Genesis was beginning to discover things about his origins that required some answers and Angeal was likely trying to help him.

There was also the issue of missing soldiers—not just the ones taken by Genesis, but the regular forces taken from the Wutai battlefield to be brought in for treatment and recovery. There were no records of some of them ever making it back home, and all of the missing names were picked up by a department calling themselves "SOLDIER unit 14: Lost Force". He'd asked Lazard about it last month and the director claimed to have no knowledge of the department. He seemed sincere in his ignorance, so Sephiroth could only presume they were a special unit under classified information Lazard didn't have access to. ShinRa was composed of several different departments, after all. Even as director of SOLDIER, Deusericus was only privy to information the president deemed necessary for him to do his job.

Now, on top of the mystery of the disappearance of two officers, the classified retrieval unit and Hollander's latest whereabouts, someone had leaked information about Sephiroth's mother. He supposed he could have asked Zackary to show him the files sent to him by this alleged "mystery fan", but the 2nd's description of the information led Sephiroth to believe it was only a grain of data.

Was it an honest coincidence of someone stumbling across a snatch of information from old records, or was someone deliberately fucking with him through Zack?

"I'm becoming as paranoid as _him_," snorted Sephiroth in derision.

The truth of his own origins was buried so deep, even _he_ didn't know all of it. He'd searched for the records himself, for many years. He knew his "father" was hiding things from him and though Professor Gast was presumed to be dead by now, Sephiroth believed that finding his old records could be the key to unveiling the truth.

With that thought in mind, Sephiroth decided he should pay a visit to Professor Hojo's lab.

* * *

Hojo watched the replay of the security recording for perhaps the hundredth time since the incident in Icicle occurred, years ago. He still seethed over his people's inability to bring the Cetra and her daughter in alive. Gast Faramis' death was a bonus in retrieving the test subjects from the village they were holed up in. Had the man survived, Hojo had no doubt he would have eventually blabbed Sephiroth's true origins to him and _that_ would have been costly. The less information Sephiroth had, the easier he was to monitor...and to mold into a god.

The cells of the preserved Ancient served his purposes fantastically, but Hojo itched to think of what he could have accomplished with not just one, but _two_ live specimens.

"Where are you now, Ifalna?"

There were only so many places in the world she could hide from the long arm of ShinRa, yet somehow, the Ancient still eluded Hojo to this day. He narrowed his eyes on the fuzzy image as the woman in question escaped out the back door with her baby, while Gast fired a gun at the soldiers to cover her escape.

"Go, Ifalna!" The love in that cry was obvious, even when heard through electrical static.

Hojo clicked his tongue and tapped the screen over Gast's image, shaking his head. "You shouldn't have done that, Faremis. What a poor scientist you were."

He fast-forwarded the clip to the part where Gast finally went down, killed by multiple bullet wounds. Hojo paused it and grinned maniacally, as he always did when he replayed this video.

"Here lies Gast Faremis," whispered Hojo through his teeth. "Fool in love,_ traitor_ to science."

The door to his lab slid open and Hojo immediately shut down the video clip. He looked up at his "son" as Sephiroth approached his workstation. As usual, the young man's expression gave little to nothing away but Hojo had monitored him since birth. He knew when something was on Sephiroth's mind by the changes in his body language, the way his pupils expanded or contracted and the oh-so-subtle clench of his jaw.

"Good afternoon, boy," greeted Hojo. He checked his watch. "If I'm not mistaken, our weekly treatment session isn't for another sixteen hours. What brings you to my lab, hmm?"

"There's been an information leak," answered Sephiroth flatly.

Something inside Hojo twisted and he cursed Genesis Rhapsodos for defecting. At the same time, he doubted Sephiroth knew the whole truth—else he would have cut him into pieces before he could even set one foot out the door. The contingency plan regarding Genesis was very situational.

"What do you mean, an 'information leak?" demanded Hojo calmly. "Be more specific."

"Someone's been asking questions about Jenova," answered Sephiroth succulently. There's a rumor floating around about 'project Jenova', in which recipients are injected with the cells of Jenova. Is it mere coincidence that my mother shares the name of this being rumored to be spliced with humans for experimentation?"

"You know project Jenova was named after your dear, deceased mother, Sephiroth." Hojo kept his voice level and his gaze steady on the tall, formidable swordsman, knowing that one ill-timed blink could give him away to the young man's perceptive powers. "You are a specially enhanced operative, but this nonsense of splicing alien genetics with human is mere fantasy. Who's been asking these questions and spreading these lies?"

Sephiroth shrugged. "Unknown. I was asked about it by a cadet, who found the subject fascinating when he read it on some blog."

"Which cadet?" pressed Hojo. "We can't have young fools spreading hysterical lies about your mother, can we?"

"It doesn't matter which cadet," Sephiroth answered firmly. "He isn't responsible for the information being posted; he merely read it and asked if I had any idea what it meant."

"Then why come to me with this information?"

Sephiroth smirked. "Because I thought if it _was_ a leak and you _had_ failed to give me all the facts, I should give you the chance to do so."

"I've told you everything you need to know, boy," Hojo insisted with a frown. "You can't allow yourself to be distracted by the whispers of fools who stumble upon bits of information they can't understand."

"Then perhaps you should tighten your security," suggested the general, "to prevent these 'fools' from seeing things they shouldn't see."

"I'll take that into account." Inwardly, Hojo made plans to take it a step further and destroy the records he kept on ShinRa file systems.

He noticed Sephiroth's tension hadn't eased and he regarded him shrewdly. "You look a bit pale, Sephiroth. You aren't getting ill, are you?"

Sephiroth lowered his gaze, his thick silver lashes sweeping down to conceal the glow of his eyes. "I think we should do this month's treatment early."

Hojo frowned and adjusted his spectacles. "Oh? Is your head that busy?"

"Excessively so, today," admitted the Soldier.

Disliking the thought of leaving it to the risk of getting out of hand, Hojo gestured at the treatment room to the left. "Then go in and have a seat. I'll have you feeling better in no time, my boy."

Sephiroth obliged without argument and to Hojo's twisted perspective, he almost seemed eager. One could never accuse the General of being a treatment junkie—in fact, he expressed loathing for it regularly and he only put up with it because he was raised to endure it. His willingness to get into that chair and allow Hojo to strap him down and administer drugs to him was a testament to his suffering.

Sephiroth removed his coat, reclined in the chair, shut his eyes and held still as Hojo secured the clamps to restrain him. His lips moved and the professor narrowed his eyes with interest, guessing he was silently communicating with the voice in his head. Hojo smiled. He may have lost the last true Cetra to walk Gaia and the only half-breed ever born, but he'd preserved an Ancient of his own, in Sephiroth. He applied a tourniquet to the warrior's bicep and had him make a fist a few times until he found a good vein.

"You know the routine," Hojo said conversationally as he measured out a dose of special medication into a syringe. "Just a quick sting and then everything will feel better."

Sephiroth didn't react when he pushed the needle in. Hojo injected him and he watched as the young man's body slowly relaxed. He removed the needle once all the medication was distributed and threw away the syringe. He sat down on his stool and he waited patiently, checking his watch. After approximately three minutes, he got back up and he lifted Sephiroth's right lid to check his eyes. They were dilated and unfocused.

Satisfied, Hojo started the pendulum on the counter up and as it swung, it made a sound much like a heartbeat. Hojo waited for it to make a few passes before he spoke to Sephiroth in a gentle, lulling voice—quite a feat for someone with his vocal chords.

"Sephiroth, can you hear me?"

"Yes," answered the Soldier, his eyes still shut.

"Good. What about your companion. Can _she_ hear me too?"

"We both hear you," answered Sephiroth.

Hojo smiled in satisfaction. "Excellent. Now Jenova, I need you to sleep. It isn't time for you to come out, yet."

"I grow tired of waiting," came the ominous answer.

"What are a few years to a powerful, immortal being such as you?" cajoled Hojo. "When the time is ready, you can reclaim this world without opposition. Gaia will be yours again, and the glory of the Cetra will be reborn."

Sephiroth's lips smirked. "Yes...the glory of the Cetra."

Hojo wondered about the irony in that tone, but attempting to understand the psyche of such an ancient being was a futile endeavor. For all he knew, Jenova was the very first Cetra ever to walk Gaia.

"So will you sleep until it is time to awake?" Hojo couldn't count on the being to keep such a promise—hence the reason behind him including this exercise in Sephiroth's monthly reinforcement treatments. Jenova seemed incapable of remaining dormant for long.

"Very well," agreed the being.

Hojo waited for a moment. "Jenova?"

No answer. The professor nodded in satisfaction. "Sephiroth?"

"Yes."

"We need to be sure you remember your directive. Tell me who your biological father is."

"Vincent Valentine," answered the Soldier in a sleepy voice.

"That's right," approved Hojo. "Now, what do you have to do if this knowledge ever becomes available to you when you are awake?"

Sephiroth didn't hesitate. "Execute him."

A malevolent, oily smile spread over Hojo's lips. "Precisely. Good boy."

* * *

_Two days later:_

Angeal touched down on the path leading into his home village. He tucked his wing in before drawing it back into his body. If anyone had asked him to explain the physics of the phenomenon, the best he could have offered was a shrug of ignorance. He _still_ didn't know how it worked, but he'd learned to control the appendage and fly with it over the past month.

Now, he wanted to find Genesis and this was the first place he could think of to look. After much soul-searching, Angeal came to the realization that he no longer belonged in the world of humans. His life was forever changed and according to Genesis, his time was limited. He wasn't sure if he wanted a cure for the deterioration he faced, but he _did_ want to help his old friend. The thought of Gen withering away and dying was enough to convince Angeal not to give up and die himself, just yet.

He walked into town with no visible sign of his mutation, save for the tear in the back of his sweater where his wing emerged. The limb had merged with his body and would not appear again until he allowed it to or stress triggered it to manifest. He passed very few people on his way into town and he frowned, finding the population oddly sparse. Banora had always been a small village, but now it seemed almost like a ghost town. Some faces he recognized from his youth and some were new. When he reached the center of town, a resident recognized him.

"Angeal?" called an old man from one of the market stalls. "Angeal Hewley...Gillian's boy. Is that you?"

Angeal walked over to the fruit and vegetable stall. It took him a moment to recognize the withered old man, having not seen him since his teens. "Mr. Kelley. You're still running this stand? I thought you'd be retired, by now."

"Well, Martha passed away a couple years ago and I don't have much to stay home for," answered the merchant. He looked at the path leading out of the square to the richer part of Banora, where the estates were. "Especially after what happened last month. I see you've got a big old sword and a SOLDIER badge."

Angeal self-consciously touched the tags hanging from his neck. Though he wasn't fit to be a member of SOLDIER anymore, he couldn't bring himself to destroy them. The old man's words sunk in and frowned, getting a bad feeling in his gut.

"What happened here last month?"

The old man frowned at him. "You don't know? I figured that's why you're here! That rich kid you used to hang around with...Rhapsodos? He came through here with a bunch of troops, about three and a half weeks ago. They went straight to his estate and unleashed holy hell there. Killed both his parents and all the help. Anybody that tried to stop them got killed, too. Most folks have moved out of town since then."

Angeal literally _felt_ the color drain from his face and for a moment, he feared he might be sick. He swallowed hard and composed himself, prioritizing his concerns. Genesis had accused Gillian Hewley of lying to Angeal, the way his parents had lied to him. If he was mad enough to kill his own parents...

"My mother? What about _her_? Did Genesis do anything to her?"

"Gillian's fine," assured Mr. Kelley. "Genesis did stop by her house before he went after his folks, but he never touched her. I couldn't tell you what they talked about."

"Thanks," Angeal sighed, feeling some relief. "Please excuse me, I have to go...home."

"Here," offered the old man, dropping a few random pieces of produce into a sack and handing it over. "You take this to her and make sure she eats."

Angeal took the sack. "Thank you."

* * *

He wanted to investigate the Rhapsodos home himself, if only to convince himself that his best friend was truly capable of such carnage. He put it off in favor of seeing his mother and finding more answers. He called out for her and as soon as he knocked on the door, it swung open a bit. It was unlocked. Angeal opened it slowly and stuck his head in.

"Mother? It's Angeal."

He saw her, then. She was sitting in a rocking chair by the fireplace, knitting something. She looked up and her eyes lit up with joy when she saw his face. She got out of her chair as Angeal came in and she hugged him around the neck immediately, kissing his cheek and whimpering, "My boy!"

Any resentment he might have felt for her alleged lies faded in the face of a son's love. Angeal dropped the sack of goods on the floor and he hugged her, mindful not to squeeze too tight. She had always been a bit thin but she seemed even more so now.

"Mother," he murmured against her hair, shutting his eyes.

* * *

The first thing he did when they both calmed down was to direct her to her seat and kneel before her. He asked her plainly to tell him the truth about his birth, searching her eyes as he promised not to turn from her, no matter what he found out.

"I need to know, Mother. Is Hollander my biological father?"

Gillian's eyes filled with tears and she nodded, twisting her thin fingers together in her lap. "I'm so sorry, Angeal. All these years, I've wanted to tell you, but I wanted you to have as normal a life as you could! When they came into town recruiting for SOLDIER, I knew I would lose you. I knew you'd learn the truth some day, and that you would hate me for it."

Angeal shook his head and took her fragile hands in his. "Don't. I could never hate you, okay? It's just very important for me to know the truth about where I came from. Something has happened to me that...that..."

She pulled one of her hands out of his grip and caressed his face. "What is it, sweetheart? Have you been sick? Did they do something _else_ to you?"

It was so close to the mark that Angeal was staggered. He gently released her hand and stood up, having misgivings about what he planned to do, but needing her to understand how serious things were.

"I don't know what they did to me," he said truthfully, "but it wasn't standard procedure and I was already...different...before I joined the military. I never knew just _how_ different, until recently."

He took a deep breath, braced himself and stepped back to give himself room. He then allowed his wing to come out, accompanied by its smaller companion beneath it. Gillian stared up at him with a slack mouth for a moment, and then she covered her face in her hands and bowed her head. Angeal swallowed a lump in his throat as his mother began to weep softly.

"I know, I'm a monster," he murmured. "I'll leave for a little while, to give you some time to cope."

"No," she said, sniffing. She reached out and caught his hand. "Don't go, son. I'm not crying because of the wing...I'm crying because of what it means. Genesis visited me weeks ago, unexpectedly. He also had a wing, you see."

"I know." The pain in Angeal's heart lessened a little, seeing that his mother wasn't recoiling from him. "He defected and I ran into him in Wutai. He told me some things and that's why I came. I need to know if there was any truth to what he told me."

"He's beginning to degenerate," whispered Gillian with a sorrowful sigh. "And that means...that means—"

"I'll probably soon follow," finished Angeal for her, squeezing her hand gently. "It's okay, Mother. I know that part. I'm prepared to deal with it but right now, I need to understand my origins. What did Genesis say to you when he came here?"

She took a shaken breath and she wiped her eyes with her free hand. "Not that much, to be honest. He was very polite. He told me to say 'hello' to you when I saw you...as if he knew you would come. He told me to tell you he'll wait for you in the warehouse, just outside of town. He also said I did the right thing, not giving you up. He said he wished his parents had done the same. I tried to talk to him about that, but he refused to listen and he left."

Angeal bowed his head. So, that was it. Genesis felt abandoned...betrayed by his biological parents. Living in the lap of luxury was meaningless to a man like him, if he didn't know where he came from. "He killed them," Angeal whispered, raising his eyes to look at his mother again. "He killed the people who raised him. Maybe they weren't his biological parents, but—"

"They _were_ his real parents," interrupted Gillian softly. "His information was wrong, son."

Angeal was beyond the point of feeling more shock than he'd already experienced. He sighed heavily and dragged his fingers through his hair. "How did he get information that he was adopted, then?"

"It was a cover-up," answered Gillian, "Just like my story about your father was a cover-up. You were _both_ meant to grow up believing you were adopted, but I didn't see the point in feeding you that lie. The truth is, I used to work for Dr. Hollander. I agreed to be his test subject in an experiment. He named it 'Project G', after the first letter of my name. The Rhapsodos' couple was also involved in the experiment. When Genesis was born, Hollander declared him a failure. The cellular fusion was imperfect and that's why he's degenerating now."

Angeal furrowed his brow. "I feel like I don't know you at all."

Gillian bowed her head. "I was a different woman, back then. Angeal, listen to me. You have to convince your friend to stop this. Genesis is sick and he needs help. Whatever Hollander has told him is a lie. Science is all that matters to that man."

"How did we end up here, in Banora?" Demanded Angeal.

"The Rhapsodos family was paid a large sum of money and given an estate here," answered Gillian, "in exchange for their contractual silence. They agreed to put it on public record that their son was adopted, so that they could raise him themselves."

"And you? You said Hollander is my father. Did the two of you..." Angeal didn't finish, grimacing despite himself at the thought.

"No," Gillian answered, smiling a little. "It was purely professional, Angeal. My egg was blended with his sperm in a Petri dish and I was inseminated. There was no touching involved, so there's no need to look so disgusted."

Angeal managed a faint smile. "I'm sorry."

She reached out and smoothed a lock of hair away from his eye. "Sons don't like to think of their mothers having relations. I understand that."

He bowed his head and lifted her gnarled hand to his lips, kissing the top of it. "Why didn't they make you give me up, or claim I was adopted? Why didn't they set you up the way they did Gen's family?"

"Because I was much more stubborn than they were," answered Gillian dryly. "I refused to give you up and as I said before, I refused to pretend you weren't my birth son. I agreed on three terms. It was the best I could do, if I didn't want you taken from me by force."

Angeal frowned. "What were the terms?"

"The first was that I raise you here, in Banora," answered his mother. "The project was shut down, you see, because Professor Hojo's 'Project S' was considered a greater success. Still, they wanted to keep an eye on both you and Genesis, for future possibilities."

Angeal shivered at the mention of Project S, guessing that it had something to do with Sephiroth. "Go on, Mother."

"The second condition was that you never be told the identity of your biological father. I had no problem with that, actually. By the time you were born, I was swimming with guilt and I had no respect for Dr. Hollander."

It was of some small comfort to him to know that his mother didn't just see him as an experiment, while he was growing in her womb. "It's over now. What was the third condition?"

She sighed. "That you would one day join the SOLDIER program, if you grew to the potential Hollander expected of you. I would never have tried to force you, but you were so eager to become a champion for your fellow man, I never had to even consider it. I was never given the benefits the Rhapsodos family was granted because I turned down their initial offer. They sent a pittance every second month, but I was determined to raise you with as little help from ShinRa as possible. I'm sorry for that, son. You could have had a better childhood if I'd swallowed my pride and lived the lie they wanted me to live."

Angeal lowered his eyes. "My childhood was fine, Mother. Even though we never had money, I never really felt 'poor'. I'm glad I grew up knowing you're my true mother."

She cupped his face in her hands and stared up at him, as if memorizing his features. "I couldn't have asked for a better son. Can you forgive me?"

"I can," he answered readily, unable to find it in his heart to refuse. "I know you didn't do any of it to hurt me."

* * *

Angeal cooked a pot of stew using the chicken legs he found in the freezer and the fresh produce he'd been given by Mr. Kelley. When he found out the meat came from him as well, he tried to lighten the tragedy of the situation by teasingly telling his mother that he thought the merchant was sweet on her. She chuckled and informed him he was just imagining things, and she was too old for romance.

They ate together and Angeal washed up, put away the leftovers and gave her a kiss on the forehead as she sat down in her favorite rocking chair.

"I'm going to speak with Genesis," murmured Angeal. "Maybe if I tell him what you've told me, he'll reconsider his actions."

"What if he won't?" pressed Gillian, worried for he son.

"Then I'll have to keep trying," insisted Angeal.

He stood up and turned away from her, walking toward the door. When she noticed that he wasn't taking the Buster Sword leaning against the wall, she called out to him. "Angeal, please don't go to that place unarmed. I know Genesis is your friend, but he's very unstable."

Angeal didn't pause or stop. "He won't hurt me, Mother. He could have killed you, but he didn't. I need to show him I'm not interested in a fight. I'll be back for the sword later, so please, take good care of it for me."

Gillian watched her son go and when he shut the door behind him, she sighed and looked at the Buster Sword. "I hope you're right, son. Thank you for forgiving me, even though I can't forgive myself."

* * *

Zack was called into Lazard's office while in the middle of eating his dinner. He was surprised to find Sephiroth in there as well and he immediately perked up, thinking this could mean they'd found Angeal.

"What's going on?"

Lazard was rubbing his forehead and he looked up at the two Soldiers from the paperwork on his desk. "I need to dispatch someone trustworthy to investigate Banora."

Zack felt even more hopeful. "That's where Angeal and Genesis grew up, right?"

Lazard nodded. "That is correct. The company has decided that they're too much of a liability. There have been reports of sightings there and—"

"Find someone else," Sephiroth interrupted.

Lazard frowned at him. "Excuse me?"

"I said; find someone else," answered Sephiroth. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You're about to ask us to assassinate them. _I won't do it_."

Lazard sighed and looked at Zack, parting his lips to say something. The brunet looked between Sephiroth and the director incredulously. "What...you think _I'll_ do it? You're both nuts!"

"If the both of you would let me finish," Lazard said with annoyance as he stood up and placed both of his gloved hands flat on his desk, "there has been a major incident in Banora. Genesis reportedly showed up in town and he slaughtered his parents and everyone else in their home. Evidence suggests he's made a base of the warehouse, on the outskirts of the village. This is going to raise far too many questions, and the company intends to eliminate all evidence of the event."

"How are they going to do that?" Zack asked.

At the same time, Sephiroth asked a rather peculiar question. "Where is Dr. Hollander, Director?"

Zack forgot his question for a moment and he stared at Sephiroth in open perplexity. "What the hell does some doctor have to do with—"

"Answer the question, Director," Sephiroth said, narrowing his eyes on Lazard.

For a moment, Lazard looked flustered—probably because he didn't understand why Sephiroth wanted to know the doctor's location, either. "We don't know. His last known location was—"

"Wutai," finished Sephiroth for him, nodding. "Around the same time Genesis went missing, correct?"

"Yes. The timing and location is suspicious, I know, but what would Rhapsodos and Hollander be doing together?"

"Conspiring," answered Sephiroth. "Hollander has always resented Hojo for being made head of the department after Gast disappeared. He's worked on both Genesis and Angeal before in the lab. You never considered any of this?"

Zack was more worried about the order to execute Angeal and Genesis, but he had to admit Sephiroth's query on Hollander was interesting. "You think Hollander convinced Genesis to defect?"

Sephiroth glanced at him. "Try convincing Genesis to do anything he doesn't want, Zackary. No, I think they reached a mutual agreement and Hollander has something to do with those copies we found in Wutai. Does that fit to you, Director?"

"Whether Hollander is working with Genesis or not, he hasn't been spotted," replied Lazard firmly. "The issue now is the carnage in Banora and how quickly the news is going to spread that a renegade SOLDIER operative came into town and murdered his own parents. I'm sure you can imagine the effect this will have on this organization's reputation, Sephiroth. We're thinned out enough as it is, without our recruitment ratio dropping too."

"Send Zack to deal with Banora," insisted Sephiroth. "I believe there's a diplomatic mission to Wutai that you need someone to volunteer for. I can take care of that."

"Wait a minute," protested Zack, "I can't fight Angeal either and I don't know Genesis that well, but he's Ange's best friend! Why is Angeal being blamed for this anyway? Genesis did all of it."

"As you just said," Lazard answered him, "Hewley is Rhapsodos' best friend. He deserted the same night you found the Genesis copies in Wutai. He's obviously helping Genesis, even if he isn't guilty of raising a sword against any civilians himself."

"Well, I'm not going to fight him."

"That isn't why you're going," Sephiroth said, before Lazard could answer. "Director, I assume that if Hewley and Rhapsodos give themselves up, the execution order will be lifted?"

Lazard nodded. "Yes. That was what I was trying to _tell_ you both before, but you chose to go off on a rant about Hollander, instead."

Sephiroth looked to Zack in satisfaction. "You have a way of getting people to talk to you, Zack. If you can convince Angeal, Genesis may follow. Nobody can force you to raise your sword against either of them...remember that."

"If his diplomacy is so fantastic, perhaps he should go on the mission to Wutai," suggested Lazard.

"He has no political tact," answered Sephiroth seamlessly.

"That's true, I don't." Zack sighed. "Okay, I'll do it. I sure hope you're right about Angeal listening to me."

* * *

When they both left his office, Lazard took a steadying breath and he opened his drawer to retrieve a prepaid cell phone he'd purchased for privacy. He dialed a number he'd memorized, not daring to risk putting it on a contact list. He checked to be sure his office door was securely locked before hitting the "send" button. After a while, someone picked up on the other line and Lazard gave his warning.

"It's me. Sephiroth is getting suspicious. I've had to dispatch an investigative crew to Banora and Sephiroth refused to take part in it. Zack Fair will be going, instead. My dear brother is sending some Turks along with him. No, I _don't_ know how much he's guessed. Father always said Sephiroth is too brilliant. Lie low and warn our antagonist, if you can."

* * *

Angeal saw guards stationed around the warehouse and he suspected they were more copies. He approached with his hands behind his head and he made no threatening moves. They didn't even raise their weapons against him. They just let him walk on in, as if they'd been expecting him. One of them even opened the door to one of the buildings for him, indicating that Genesis must be inside. Angeal stepped into the warehouse and the sight of his old friend sitting on a crate, reading his copy of "Loveless", greeted him.

"Genesis," greeted Angeal, coming to a stop and lowering his arms to the sides.

The redhead looked up and he shut his book before replacing it in the inner pocket of his jacket. "I wondered when you would come to your senses." He got to his feet and he crossed the room to Angeal, his footsteps echoing in the sparsely supplied room. A crooked, sensual little smile curved his mouth. "You look well."

Angeal was about to say the same of him. Seeing him smile like that made everything go away, just for a moment. Then he saw something that made him frown. At first, he thought it was just the way the overhead lights shone on Gen's hair, but a more thorough inspection confirmed that there were strands of gray mixing in with the auburn. It wasn't obvious yet, but it would get more pronounced with time.

"So you've noticed," observed Genesis. He ran a gloved hand over his hair and sighed. "The color goes first. On the plus side, there hasn't been any weakness, yet. Observing the copies taught me not to expect _that_ until the end."

Angeal remembered his purpose for coming. "Genesis, you have to stop this. You've killed innocent people. This isn't who you _are_."

"Then who am I?" challenged the redhead. He began to pace and his gaze pinned Angeal to the spot. "Who _am_ I, if not a label _they_ put on me? The goddess has blessed us with a way to fight our fate, Angeal. We don't fit in our old lives, any longer."

"No, we don't," agreed the bigger man. He closed the distance between the two of them and he put his hands on Genesis' shoulders. "I can't live the way I used to and neither can you. I know that, now. It doesn't mean we have the right to dishonor ourselves by turning on the people we used to call friends."

Genesis pulled away, scowling. "I have no intention of drawing on Sephiroth—unless he forces me to. As for your puppy, I'll leave him alone as well. The company, however, must die. ShinRa must go down, if you and I are to live. You understand that, don't you?"

"And how did killing your parents fit into that?" demanded Angeal harshly, hoping to shock some sense into him. "Did it help Hollander's research at all for you to cut them open?"

"They _betrayed _me!" Genesis yelled, losing his temper. His eyes glittered wildly and his wing manifested in his anxiety. "They lied to me my entire life and my true parents allowed ShinRa to use me...to make me this...monster!"

Angeal shook his head, feeling both pity and empathy. "Genesis, there are things you don't understand. The records you found weren't entirely accurate and Hollander can't be trusted. My mother explained everything to me and—"

"Because she couldn't get away with _lying_ to you anymore," insisted Genesis. "I left her no choice! I knew you would go to her to confirm the things I told you and I knew you would join me once you heard it all from her."

In a macabre way, it was just like childhood again. Genesis was ever the know-it-all. Losing patience with his smug self-assurance, Angeal came out with the brutal truth that he _knew_ would get the redhead's attention.

"Did you also know that those people you slaughtered were actually your real parents?"

Genesis stared at him as if _he_ was the crazy one. "You're full of shit, Hewley. I don't know why you're trying so hard to stall me, but I know the truth."

"No, you don't," insisted Angeal. "Your father never 'inherited' that estate, anymore than my father was a fisherman who died at sea. Both of your parents were involved in Project G, just like my mother. The research department paid them off and set them up with that land in exchange for their silence."

"I have a fucking _copy_ of the adoption papers," Genesis snapped in exasperation. "Your mother was either lying or relaying false information to you!"

"No," answered Angeal. "Those adoption papers were falsified, Genesis. That was part of the deal. You and I were never supposed to know who our real parents were or the circumstances surrounding our conception and birth."

"Then how is it _you_ ended up knowing who your real mother was, if this is true?"

"She refused to go along with the adoption lie," answered Angeal.

He explained the rest as he'd been told and he was both relieved and saddened to see the comprehension dawning in Genesis' eyes as he explained. He pressed on and when he finished, he suffered for the pain he saw lurking beneath Gen's eyes.

"My mother will tell you this herself," promised Angeal. "And if you don't believe her, we can interrogate Hollander. He was head of the project and he knows the truth, whether he's been giving it to you or not. Just don't trust him, Genesis. He has his own agenda and I'm sure it isn't to cure either of us."

"He's the one that enabled the genetic transfer," Genesis murmured, looking toward the door. "Hollander worked with me to make those men into copies."

Angeal laid a comforting hand on Genesis' shoulder. "He convinced you to infect your fellow Soldiers and turn them into puppets. I know that you wouldn't have—"

Genesis suddenly shoved Angeal away from him, making him stumble. "You don't _know_ anything, Angeal. Stop trying to excuse my actions! I chose them myself, not Hollander."

"You buried your parents," reasoned Angeal. "I saw the graves by the estate entrance, Genesis. I saw your markings on them."

"What the hell does _that _have to do with anything?"

Angeal's sympathetic expression didn't change. "If you didn't care at all for them, you wouldn't have bothered. You can come back from this, Genesis."

The redhead looked away, his eyes glistening tellingly. "You always were a fool with romantic notions, Hewley. There's no 'coming back'. I buried them because even liars and betrayers deserve a decent burial."

"I don't believe that's why you did it," insisted the big man stubbornly. He reached out and stroked Genesis' hair, half-expecting him to pull away or shove him. "And neither do you."

Genesis raised a gloved hand and to Angeal's surprise, he settled it over the one stroking his hair. He parted his lips to speak but the tune of a cellular phone interrupted him. Angeal took his hand away reluctantly as Genesis dug what appeared to be a cheap, pre-paid phone out of his pocket and put it to his ear.

"Yes? Hollander. How...convenient."

Genesis met Angeal's eyes and the big man could have groaned. He could see trouble brewing in that gaze and he had no idea who would be on the receiving end of it. Genesis began to pace again as he listened to the doctor on the other end.

"Interesting. Not very surprising, but interesting. No, you stay put. I want you where I can find you. I have Angeal. Yes."

Genesis looked at Angeal again and the brunet felt like he was staring into his soul.

"He's always 'on my side', doctor. You can be assured of that. I wouldn't worry...it's nothing we can't handle. I'll contact you when I've decided on our next move."

Genesis hung up the phone and replaced it before sighing and regarding Angeal with guarded eyes. "Our contact at ShinRa has issued a warning to Hollander. Sephiroth is starting to suspect something. You and I both know it won't take him long to discover the truth, if he insists on pursuing it."

Angeal almost felt relief at that notion. "And what does this contact think Sephiroth is going to do?" He didn't bother asking who the contact _was_, knowing that Gen wouldn't tell him until he was good and ready to.

Genesis shrugged. "They didn't say. What they _did_ say was that an investigation team starring your puppy is being sent here. I suspect their orders are to shoot on sight, if they've heard about my little homecoming."

Before Angeal could respond to that, Genesis gestured at the door. "Go, Angeal. Your hands are still clean and I'd rather not be the one to stain them."

"I'm not running away," Angeal said with a frown. "If Zack is with them, maybe an agreement can be reached."

"Maybe your pupil will want to negotiate," reasoned Genesis, "but the others won't. He'll have Turks with him and you can bet your muscular ass that their orders don't include bringing us in alive."

Angeal was a little thrown by the reference to his "muscular ass" and he flushed. "Then we avoid the Turks. I thought you didn't want to fight Zack, anyway?"

"Not unless he gets in my way," agreed Genesis, "but you must understand, Angeal...you and I aren't part of their world anymore."

"That doesn't mean we have to be at war with it," reasoned Angeal.

Genesis seemed to waver. "I want those responsible for this to be punished."

"Then save it for the ones who deserve it," urged the bigger man. "And remember, one of them claims to be 'helping' you."

Genesis stared at him for several heartbeats. Finally, his mouth curved into a subtle, tired smirk. "Only you could make me rethink my course, Hewley."

* * *

-To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter three: Negotiaton

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note:_**_ I can just picture an anime "sweat drop" over Tseng's forehead at the end of this. See the end of the chapter for an additional author's note. _

* * *

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters. _**

* * *

They slept in the warehouse that night. They spread out some straw crate stuffing on the floor to make a nest-like bedding to sleep on and Genesis smirked at the irony of two winged men building a nest together. Angeal didn't want to return to his mother's house, claiming he didn't want to disturb her. Genesis knew the truth; Angeal didn't trust him not to take off with his army the moment he turned his back on him. Perhaps he was right. These days, Genesis' thoughts were a confused swirl of anger, bitterness and desperation. He himself wasn't sure what he would do, from one moment to the next. He had always been somewhat impulsive, but he usually tempered it with common sense. It seemed he was lacking in the latter department, lately. Misery tended to make one care less about consequences. The only real pleasure he'd experienced since this all began was when Angeal walked through those doors and made him feel...loved?

Genesis snorted derisively, glancing over at the powerful man lying close to him. Angeal was possibly the only person alive that he trusted right now, but love was a sentiment he could neither afford nor entertain. He doubted any romantic feelings he allowed to stir would be reciprocated, anyway. Regardless, he had to admire the way he looked in repose. Angeal was lying on his stomach, with his right cheek pillowed on his crossed forearms. His dark, feathered hair was falling partially over his eye and Genesis fell victim to his enhanced impulses upon noticing. He lowered his book and reached out to stroke the rogue locks back into place, lifting the veil from his friend's chiseled, sleeping features.

Angeal really did have nice cheekbones. It was easy to overlook their shape because his bold, masculine features tended to overpower the more shapely ones. Having noticed that little detail, Genesis couldn't help but notice the man had a nicely shaped pair of lips, too. Genesis typically didn't favor the burly sort, but he'd always thought Angeal was a prime specimen of that type. His eyes traveled down over the strong shoulders, the broad back and finally, the muscular curve of his ass.

Genesis set "Loveless" aside for the moment and he slid his hand down from Angeal's hair to his shoulder, then down his spine. Genesis saw what he was doing, but he couldn't stop himself. His hand hovered over that tempting rump and the next thing he knew, he gave it a good, firm smack on the left cheek.

Genesis had time to appreciate confirmation that Angeal's butt was as tight and firm as it looked before Angeal jerked awake. The redhead quickly snatched his book up and held it up to the lantern light, staring hard at the page without really seeing it.

"Mnuh...Genesis?"

"What is it?" Genesis' face was burning. He'd _never_ blushed like this before and he only hoped the light was too dim for Angeal to notice.

Angeal propped up on one elbow and reached down with his free hand to rub his ass. "Did you just pop me?"

Genesis kept his eyes on the page. "Just a little."

Angeal stared at him with confused, sleepy eyes. "Is there a reason why?"

Genesis thought fast. The first thing that sprang to mind was to blame it on swatting a bug away, but he thought that was too cliché. He wasn't a nice person and Angeal would never believe he smacked him like that for any solicitous reason. A second option came to him and he ran with it.

"You were snoring."

Angeal frowned. "I was?"

Genesis nodded, still staring fixedly at his book—which he kept raised in an effort to hide his blushing face from his friend's sight. "It was distracting me. Surely one little smack didn't hurt you that much."

"It didn't feel like a 'little smack'," grumbled the other man.

"Oh, would you _just_ be quiet and go back to sleep?" Genesis snapped, trying not to cringe. "I can't concentrate with all this whining."

Angeal sighed. He started to lie back down but he paused and stared at Genesis' book. "No wonder you can't concentrate. You're holding the book upside down."

Angeal started to reach for it and Genesis quickly turned around, presenting his back to his friend and preventing him from taking the book away and seeing how bright his face was.

"Don't," snapped Genesis. "It's a...focus exercise. I told you I intend to study this piece _extensively_, Angeal. That means reading it every way possible."

Angeal was silent for a minute, and when he answered, his tone said he thought Genesis was more unhinged than he first suspected. "I had no idea you meant it this literally. Try to get some rest tonight, Genesis. We need our senses sharp for when Zack arrives."

Genesis turned the page for show. "I'll lie down soon. Go back to sleep."

Angeal complied, shifting into a comfortable position again before shutting his eyes. Genesis turned back around and he cautiously lowered the book to peer over the top of it. He sighed, annoyed that he'd made such an ass of himself. He didn't know what possessed him to do that to Angeal—nice ass or not.

"Genesis?" Angeal muttered without opening his eyes, prompting the redhead to duck behind his book again.

"Hmm?"

"If I start snoring again, I'd appreciate it if you'd try nudging me or rolling me onto my side, before you hit me."

A snicker threatened to surface and Genesis strangled it immediately. Unlike his thoughts, his voice came out level and calm. "I'll try to remember that."

* * *

Early the next morning, Zack and Sephiroth went to the airport to board separate helicopters for their respective missions. An attractive Turk with Wutaian features approached them on the flight line. His black hair was pulled back into a tight, neat little ponytail and he had a bindi dot on his forehead, between his straight black brows.

"SOLDIER 2nd class, Zack Fair?" Called the Turk as he met the Soldiers halfway to the choppers.

"Yeah, that's me," answered Zack.

"This is Tseng of the Turks," introduced Sephiroth. He exchanged a formal nod with the newcomer. "I assume he's going to be your backup on this mission."

"Correct," answered Tseng. He shook Zack's hand. "Pleasure to meet you. If you'll both come this way, the aircrafts are ready to go."

Zack gamely followed the Turk, chatting with an unresponsive Sephiroth all the while. "So what's Banora like? Angeal told me all about dumbapples, and how they grow randomly because they don't know what season it is...or maybe they don't care? I can't remember. What do _you_ think? Have you ever tasted one? Oooo, who's _she_?"

Sephiroth was just about to beg Zack to shut up—and he was not a man to beg—when the gabby pup spotted a petite young Turk woman with honey-brown hair and big brown eyes, waiting outside the chopper. Sephiroth recognized her as Cissnei, one of the most promising young Turks in their department. Zack—being the world's biggest sucker for a pretty face—sidled up to her with the wolfish grin that always earned him so much positive female attention.

"Hey, how you doing?"

Sephiroth barely refrained from rolling his eyes skyward. The Turk girl smiled at Zack, seemingly charmed—like most of the women he flirted with.

"Hi. I'm Cissnei. You must be Zack?"

"That's my name." Zack winked at her. "Don't wear it out."

Sephiroth's right upper lip curled without him even realizing it. He wanted to ask Zack if he was serious. Surely, no woman in her right mind would fall for—

Cissnei's soft, sweet giggle immediately disproved the general's supposition. Evidently, even the brightest ones were rendered moronic when Zack gave them a blast of charisma. Sephiroth honestly couldn't understand what it was about Zack Fair that disarmed so many people. He'd even come to terms with the fact that he himself wasn't immune to it...though he didn't allow it to rule his common sense when dealing with the young man.

"So uh...you're a Turk," Zack said, stating the glaringly obvious. "How long have you been—"

Sephiroth abruptly smacked him on the back of the head, startling him out of his flirt mode. Zack yelped and stared at him with a dumb expression of confusion. Unlike Angeal, Sephiroth suffered no remorse for correcting Zack's quirky moments.

"Focus on the mission," warned Sephiroth, "not girls."

Zack looked contrite for exactly two seconds...and then Cissnei invited him to climb aboard the chopper with her and it was like the smack never happened. Zack put an arm around Cissnei's waist and helped her in first, chatting with her all the while.

"You and me, huh? Cool. What kind of music do you like?"

Sephiroth stared with disbelief as Zack disappeared into the helicopter. Tseng came up beside him and he raised a black brow. "Next time, I'll remember not to bring along female operatives," he mused.

Sephiroth nodded. "I think that would be wise. Good luck on your mission, Tseng."

"Good luck on yours, General."

* * *

Later that morning, Genesis left the warehouse to go to his parent's estate and Angeal followed him, ever watchful. The poet gave him an exasperated look when he realized he was coming with and he warned him that soon, he would be eligible for Zack's title of "puppy".

"I'm not leaving you alone until I know you're capable of rational thought," Angeal told him sternly. "And that's the end of it."

The response rankled Genesis and he stopped walking. He gave Angeal an exasperated look. "Oh, that's the 'end of it', is it? Just who do you think you are, Hewley?"

"Your friend," answered the big man without missing a beat, "maybe the only one you have, right now."

Genesis faltered, compressed his lips and then threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine. I suppose I'll need to pick up a collar and leash for you, since you insist on being my guard dog. Might I remind you that _I'm_ probably _your_ only friend now, as well?"

Angeal nodded, agreeing without rancor. "I have no illusions, Genesis. As we discussed last night, I know my old life has to die...and that means old friendships. I still refuse to make enemies of the people who were once our allies, though."

"Yes, yes...you've already made that abundantly clear," sighed the redhead. A hint of a smile softened his annoyed expression. "Noble fool."

Angeal returned the subtle smile, taking the affectionate jab without complaint.

* * *

Zack and Tseng disembarked from the chopper and Cissnei remained with the pilot, on standby. They looked down the hill at the path winding into Banora and both men thought the area looked oddly deserted.

"I don't see anyone moving around in the village," Zack said, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand. "Do you?"

Tseng raised a pair of high-powered binoculars and checked. He shook his head after scanning the village. "Nothing. Either the village is deserted, or the few who remained behind are hiding indoors. Perhaps they heard us coming and are wary of outsiders."

"Well, Genesis came through here and slaughtered a house full of people," reasoned Zack with a frown. "I wouldn't trust strangers either, if I were them. Where's that warehouse, again?"

"On the northwest edge of town," answered Tseng. He lowered his binoculars so they hung around his neck and he retrieved a navigation device from his pocket. "I'll go and scout it. You should investigate the village for any sign of the targets."

Zack frowned at him. "Don't call them that."

Tseng gave him a silent, questioning look.

"Don't call them 'targets'," elaborated Zack. "They aren't some terrorist strangers. You've worked with these guys before, too."

Tseng sighed and he looked Zack in the eye, keeping his voice pitched low so that the Soldier would listen more closely. "As a matter of fact, they _are_ terrorists, Zack. At least, Genesis is. What he's trying to do is the very _definition_ of terrorism. I do understand how you feel, but you've got to think objectively and muffle your personal feelings. This is a mission and the better you conduct your part of it, the better the chance we can bring these men home alive. Do you understand?"

Zack regarded him warily. He was an idealist, but he wasn't as naive as some believed and he understood that the Turks were bound by a different code than he was. "Can I trust you to mean that last part, Tseng?"

The Turk's expression was neutral. "You can trust me to avoid killing unless it's deemed necessary, Zack. That's the best I can promise."

Zack understood that "unless it's deemed necessary" referred more to what the department ordered Tseng to do than what the man wanted to do himself.

"Got it," he sighed. "I guess we'd better get going."

"I'll contact you when I have something to report on the warehouse," Tseng said, and they went their separate ways.

* * *

Angeal noticed that Genesis carefully avoided looking at his parents' graves as they started up the path leading to his family's estate. He didn't slow or stop; he kept walking the winding, gravel path beneath the arching, white Banora trees. Angeal paused to regard the grave markers, feeling an obligation to pay his respects even if Genesis wouldn't. He looked at his friend, taking note of the tense set of his shoulders and the way he didn't look right or left, but straight ahead.

Genesis was eating his guilt.

Angeal sighed and looked at the graves again. He didn't envy his friend the burden he must be suffering. He couldn't understand how Genesis could even bring himself to kill these people in the first place, but discovering he'd been wrong about their connection to him could have only made it worse. He wasn't likely to give in to grief, though. It wasn't Gen's style. He would silently chew on it and insist to others that he was justified in what he did.

It would poison him.

Angeal approached the graves and he knelt down on one knee, resting both hands on the other knee, he bowed his head and silently paid his respects to the deceased. He heard Genesis' footsteps cease, heard the grinding of rocks as the redhead pivoted around to look at him, and he heard the soft sigh. Angeal remained stationary, neither encouraging Gen to join him, nor blaming him for hesitating. He kept his mind on the deceased, remembering what they looked like, the sound of their voices, the moments of kindness they spared for an impoverished boy that their son had somehow befriended.

Angeal felt more than heard Genesis' presence at his side. The red-clad fighter's shadow fell over his father's grave and he stood there in uncertain silence for a while. Angeal said nothing and he didn't expect anything. He understood that his friend didn't deal with emotions the way he did and he could forgive him if he needed time to process what he'd done.

Genesis drew his sword, pressed the point of the blade into the ground and knelt beside Angeal, his gloved hands grasping the hilt of the weapon. He bowed his head and Angeal spared a covert, sidelong glance at him. Genesis' face bore an expression of doubt and confusion, leaving Angeal to guess he was trying to work out exactly where he went wrong and how he should feel about taking their lives.

They remained that way in companionable silence for a while, both of them deep in thought. Finally, Genesis sighed and got to his feet. He sheathed his sword and looked up the path leading to his old house.

"We should get cleaned up, while we have the chance. Who knows when we'll have access to full plumbing again?"

Angeal thought he had a good point, but the thought of going into that house and using a dead family's shower was unsettling, to say the least. He'd rather use his mother's bathroom to clean up, but he realized he might not have the time to do so if he waited until Genesis was finished getting whatever he needed from the estate.

"Angeal?" Genesis had started up the path again and he paused.

Something in his tone made Angeal forgo his own reservations. He knew Gen would never pressure him to stay and it seemed he kept expecting him to proclaim he'd had his fill of this and leave him.

"I'm coming."

* * *

Zack checked the coordinates he'd been given and he counted the houses on the road when he was sure he'd made the right turn.

"That must be the house," he mused, double-checking his information to be sure. "Wow...it's...kind of a shack. And I thought the house I grew up in was small."

He approached the house and knocked on the door. "Hello? Is anyone home?"

A woman's voice called out. "Who is it?"

"Sorry to intrude," Zack called, "but I'm looking for Angeal Hewley's mother. Are you her? I'm Zack Fair, his trainee. It's really important that I find him."

There was a pause, and then: "You wouldn't happen to be 'Zack; the puppy', would you?"

Zack dropped his forehead in his hand and grumbled, "Thanks a lot, Angeal. Even your mother..."

The door opened and a late middle-aged woman stood there with a smile on her face. She looked Zack up and down and she chuckled, as if thinking of a private joke. "You look exactly as my son described you in his letters to me. Please, come in."

* * *

Tseng lay on his belly on a hill, peering through his binoculars at the warehouse down below. He did a head count of all the men moving around down there and he watched their behavior closely. Some of them were lurching, as if their limbs were getting stiff. Others wandered aimlessly like they'd forgotten something. The rest seemed more or less normal, from a distance. He strongly suspected he was looking at Genesis copies.

He put down the binoculars and dug out his cell, pushing the contact button for his comrades on the chopper. "I'm at the warehouse," he said in a low voice. "No sighting of either target, yet. I'm waiting for Fair to report in. Remain on standby until further notice."

"Understood," Cissnei answered on the other line. "We're ready to move at your word, Tseng."

Tseng ended the call and he went back to scouting the area. He felt his phone vibrate after a little while and he dug it back out to answer it. "Tseng."

"It's Zack," answered the caller. "I found Angeal's house. His mom's there but he's not. She said he came by earlier and then took off again to the warehouse. Any sign of him there?"

"None," answered Tseng. "Or of Rhapsodos."

"So, what's next? Do I bust in there to check it out or what?"

Tseng considered the question. He wasn't sure what Zack's capabilities were as a Soldier. "Maybe you should join me here to see for yourself, before we make a decision on that."

"All right. I'll be there as soon as I can."

* * *

Angeal and Genesis didn't linger at the Rhapsodos estate. They both took quick showers and they wrapped up some food for the road. They intended to go back to the warehouse to wait for Zack and try to arrange negotiation in safe territory, but Angeal wanted to see his mother once more, to say goodbye. He talked Genesis into going with him, though the redhead wasn't particularly enthused about it. They spread their wings and flew to the Hewley home. Genesis intended to wait outside while Angeal said his goodbyes, but the big man insisted that he should come in as well.

"Genesis, she cares for you," coaxed Angeal. "This may be the last time we see her. Just come in with me to say goodbye."

Again, Genesis found himself agreeing with the man and he wondered what special hold Angeal had on him to make him contradict his own decisions so easily. Angeal knocked on the door and tested the knob. Upon finding it unlocked, he opened it and he called out to his mother as he stepped into the house. She didn't answer and Angeal made a shushing motion at Genesis. Guessing she must be having a nap, the redhead obligingly kept his steps light.

Angeal stopped abruptly before Genesis made it two steps into the house.

Genesis ran flat into his companion's broad back and he muttered a complaint. "_Walk_, Hewley."

Angeal seemed to be frozen stiff. Genesis nearly issued another command, but he sensed something very wrong in the air and in his companion's posture. Instead of trying to get Angeal to move, he sidestepped him so that he could see what he was looking at. It took him a moment to realize that the rumpled cloth spread out over the dusty wooden floor was a skirt. His mind connected the dots and he recognized the body sprawled out beneath the clothing.

"Mother?" Angeal whispered.

He swiftly knelt by her side and felt for a pulse. Genesis quickly took the scene in and he saw the glint of a razor blade on the bloody floor, near Gillian's left hand. He frowned at it and he walked over to it, mindful not to step in the blood that was now congealing on the floor. He squatted down and when he was sure of its identity, he stood back up. Angeal was calling uselessly to her empty shell, trying to get a response from her.

"Angeal...she's gone." Genesis gestured at the blade, inches from her limp hand. "She didn't want to be here, anymore."

Angeal rolled his mother over into his lap and the injury she'd done to her arms became glaringly obvious as they flopped limply. She had slit them from wrist to elbow, parallel. Had she done it horizontally across the wrist, they might have reached her in time to save her. She'd bled out fast.

Genesis watched his friend cradle his mother's body and he was compelled to try and offer...something. He placed a gloved hand over the big man's tense shoulder and for once, he resisted the urge to comment. He glanced over at the Buster Sword, still leaning against the wall near the door.

"I need a moment," Angeal said in a carefully controlled, tight voice.

Genesis cast a swift glance at the blade Gillian had used to kill herself with and he scooped it up smoothly. "Of course. I'll be outside, Angeal. Take your time."

Tucking the blade into an outer pocket, Genesis moved around his friend's hunched, grieving form and opened the door. He considered the Buster Sword but upon inspecting how it was made, he decided Angeal would have to shove the hilt into the earth and free-fall onto the sword to kill himself with it. The weapon simply wasn't made for piercing or slashing. He took his exit, his hand going to the small book carefully concealed in his inner coat pocket.

* * *

"I'm going in," Zack said determinedly.

Tseng was prepared to back him with gunfire, but he felt his phone vibrating. "Wait, Zack. This could be important."

Zack halted in the middle of getting to his feet, stumbling awkwardly. "Would you make up your _mind_?"

Tseng ignored him. "Tseng."

"It's Heidegger," answered the rough voice on the other end. "Your orders are to get clear of Banora, Tseng. The president wants it raining pronto, understand?"

Tseng glanced at Zack. "There are people still—"

"No excuses, Turk," growled the other man. "Get out of there or get fried. Those are your options. The bomber should be there in ten minutes and there won't be a thing left."

The call abruptly ended and Tseng looked at Zack, his expression going grim. Fortunately, they were behind the cover of trees and it was safe to stand up. He climbed to his feet and offered his hand to the Soldier.

"This mission is over, Zack. We have to leave...now."

Zack ignored the hand he offered and he got to his feet with a confused, wary expression. "What the hell are you talking about?"

At this point, attempting to lie could only slow things down. "They're sending a carrier. They're going to bombard the village and destroy all evidence of what happened here."

Zack glared at him. "_What_? They're...just going to _bomb_ the place? Just like that? What about the people here? What about Angeal?"

Tseng grabbed Zack by the elbow and foolishly tried to lead him away. He quickly learned that it was neigh impossible for an ordinary man to budge a reluctant SOLDIER operative. "Zack, they are going to _obliterate_ this settlement! We can't stay here."

"I have to go back into town," insisted the swordsman. "Just try stall them! Angeal's mom is still in there!"

Tseng always put his job above his emotions, but Zack's insistent, noble please inspired him to bend the rules a bit. "All right...I'll convince my people to wait for five minutes. I can't call off the bombing, Zack. You'd better hurry."

* * *

Zack charged into town and he was so completely absorbed in warning Mrs. Hewley, he didn't notice Genesis standing on the roof of her home.

"Mrs. Hewley?" Zack shoved the door to Gillian's home open, putting manners on the back burner.

He stumbled to a halt and stared when he saw the body lying on the floor. His first thought was that Genesis had come back and done it, but then he noticed the silent, powerfully built figure standing against the wall to his right. Zack looked at Angeal accusingly, horrified by the thought that he could have done this. He remembered that Genesis had come here specifically to kill his own family and it made sense to him that whatever got into him must have gotten into Angeal as well.

"What did you do?" Zack yelled at his mentor, clenching his shaking hands into fists.

Angeal avoided his eyes and looked to the floor.

Overcome with emotions, Zack punched the big man—hard enough to send him backpedaling through the front door. Angeal staggered out and fell to the ground. Zack loomed over him at the door and clenched his teeth.

"This is what 'honor' is to you? She was your mother!"

Angeal got to his feet and his hands never reached for the Buster Sword strapped to his back. "She had nothing to live for." He turned to leave and Zack started to follow.

"Angea—oof!"

A boot seemed to come out of nowhere and trip him up. Zack fell clumsily onto his stomach in the dirt, caught off guard. He looked up to find Genesis looming over him. Something was a bit different from the last time he'd seen him, and it took Zack a moment to realize what it was. Genesis' hair seemed a little dull; the rich auburn faded, somehow.

"Calm down, puppy," Genesis said coolly. "He can't live in your world anymore. Don't try and force him to."

Zack scrambled to his feet and looked at Angeal, who stood wordless and pale a few feet away. "What is he _talking _about, Ange? Are you both out of your minds? You killed your _mother_!"

Angeal raised his eyes from the ground and glared at Zack. The Mako tinting his irises made them glow as his emotions got the better of him. "You think I did this. After everything we've talked about?"

"He isn't _me_, Fair," Genesis said ominously, "Gillian didn't die by her son's hand. She took her own life."

Zack looked at him mistrustfully before looking at Angeal. "Is he telling the truth?"

Angeal looked away again. "Look at her and see for yourself, Zack."

Zack kept his attention half on Genesis as he took his advice and had a look for himself. When he saw the injuries on her arms, he walked back outside, shaking his head. "But I only spoke with her a while ago. She seemed happy!"

"That seems to be the common trend amongst people who go through with it," reasoned Genesis. "Perhaps because they are at peace with their decision."

Impulsively and perhaps foolishly, Zack started toward Angeal. A wall of black feathers abruptly blocked him. He stopped and sputtered, pushing at the unexpected obstacle instinctively. In having a feel of it, he realized that it was a giant _wing_. He followed the length of it to its source and he came close to falling over in shock when he located it.

"Wing," Zack said dazedly, gesturing through the feathers at Genesis.

"Aren't we articulate?" Genesis murmured sarcastically. He looked to Angeal. "And _why_ did you choose to mentor this one, again?"

"Leave him alone, Genesis," Angeal warned flatly.

Amazingly, the redhead complied. He withdrew his wing and he watched Zack with eyes that warned against making another wrong move. Zack looked inside at the body and he sighed. Now that the adrenaline rush was gone, he was able to think more rationally and he believed his mentor's account of what really happened. He was relieved, but aware that the clock was ticking and the bomber was going to be coming at any moment.

"Angeal, you've got to come with me. If you give yourself up and explain everything to them—"

"No." The answer came not from Angeal, but from Genesis.

"I wasn't _talking_ to you," Zack said angrily. "You can go to hell."

"Genesis speaks for both of us, on that matter," Angeal said before his companion could respond to Zack's insult. "We aren't returning, Zack. I understand you want to help, but the situation is more complicated than you realize."

"How?" demanded Zack urgently, checking the skies warily for any sign of aircrafts. "You haven't _done_ anything yet, man! All you've got to do is explain whatever's going on and if Genesis comes with you, they'll just put him in holding. They can help you guys."

Angeal and Genesis exchanged a look before the redhead answered. "Even if you're right and they _could_ help us, they _won't_. This was done to us deliberately by the research department, in an effort to re-create an extinct race and the perfect Soldier."

Zack wanted to disbelieve that, but the supernatural appendage sprouting from Genesis' back lent testimony to his words. He looked at his mentor. "Angeal?"

Genesis looked over his shoulder at the big man. "You have to show him, or he'll never accept it."

"Show me what?"

Angeal hesitated for a moment, looking from Genesis to Zack. Finally, he bowed his head and a huge white wing grew out of his right side of his back, followed by a smaller one beneath it. Zack blinked, his jaw dropping with awe.

"You see?" Angeal murmured. "We can't return. We've become monsters."

Zack shook his head. "You're _not_ monsters, Angeal. Why would you say that?"

The big man just looked at him with troubled lapis eyes.

Zack shook himself out of his daze, remembering his mission. "Look, you guys have to get _out_ of here. Any minute now, they're going to bomb this place to the ground. ShinRa plans to wipe out all evidence of this town and what happened here and anyone still in the village when they come is going to be toast."

Angeal frowned at that and he glanced at his mother's still body, visible through the open doorway of her home. The sound of an approaching aircraft echoed in the hills surrounding the village, and all three men looked to the sky. Genesis glanced at the deceased woman in the house and he looked at Angeal.

"We can carry her."

Angeal shook his head. "She would have wanted to be buried here. She wanted to be cremated and have her ashes scattered into the wind. We leave her."

Zack swallowed a lump, aching for his instructor's pain. Angeal was like the older brother he'd never had. He vowed to find some way to help him, but there were bigger things to worry about, right now. "Get out of here, Angeal. I'll tell them I never saw you—either of you."

Angeal nodded, his eyes holding Zack's solemnly. "I'll trust your word. Get clear yourself, Zack...and stay alert. You and Sephiroth need to watch out for each other, and don't trust everything you hear."

Zack frowned at that, but Angeal and Genesis took to the air, leaving him standing on the ground staring after them. He had no time to ponder how they both achieved flight; he could see the bomber coming in the distance and he had precious little time to get clear of the blast radius. A few feathers drifted down from where his mentor and Genesis departed and Zack hastily snatched up one of each color. He couldn't say _why_ he did it, but he tucked them into a pocket and started running.

* * *

Angeal and Genesis watched from a distance as the village they grew up in went up in flames. The warehouse with all of Genesis' copies went up with it—which was probably a blessing. The beautiful, unique apple trees burned with the town and that was a tragedy in itself. Angeal bowed his head and murmured an oath. Beside him, Genesis reached into his jacket and produced a single, perfect dumbapple. He considered it for a moment before replacing it.

"We'll share it tonight. In memory of what we once were."

Angeal nodded in agreement. "We need to lie low somewhere tonight and get well-rested. Mideel isn't far from here."

Genesis considered him thoughtfully as he leaned against the big oak tree they were using for cover. "You haven't exactly shared your alternative to my master plan, Angeal. What do you propose we do, if not wage open war on ShinRa?"

The big man took his eyes off the fiery carnage happening in the village and he turned to face his companion. "First, we detain Hollander. Then we force his cooperation and make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. Who is your informant in ShinRa, Genesis? Who was working with you and Hollander from the inside?"

"A man with a righteous grudge," answered Genesis evasively. His turquoise gaze was opaque on Angeal. "I'll give you his identity when I'm sure your plan has a chance to succeed, old friend. It's nothing personal, but I need to keep my options open."

Angeal sighed. "Sooner or later, you're going to have to trust me." With that said, Angeal spread wing and took off in the direction of Mideel.

"On the contrary," corrected Genesis softly, watching his friend for a moment before spreading his wing to join him. "It's your plan I don't trust, Hewley. Not your integrity. You're the only thing keeping me in check."

With one last look at the burning ruins of his hometown, Genesis took to the air and followed his companion.

* * *

That night, Zack returned to Midgar and he gave his report to Lazard. The director didn't seem surprised when he told him he didn't find Angeal or Genesis. Since Tseng never saw the two of them, his report supported Zack's. Lazard dismissed the young man and Zack went straight to the dorms for a shower, a microwave meal and sleep. As he lay in his bunk, he studied the two feathers he'd rescued before leaving Banora. The white one almost seemed to glow. The black one had rainbow highlights, just like a raven's feather.

"Yo Zack," Greeted Kunsel as he approached to lie down in the bunk beneath his. "How'd your mission go, today?"

Zack slipped the two feathers under his pillow. "It sucked. I...dammit, I can't talk about it because it's classified."

He would have loved to unload on his friend, but he couldn't tell a soul the truth about what he'd seen. He trusted Kunsel, but after the warning he'd gotten, he was afraid there could be hidden voice monitors in the dorms. This shit was going to drive him to paranoia.

Kunsel grunted as he lay on his back. Zack felt a faint poke through the thin mattress. "Hey, don't worry about it," advised Kunsel. "Watching a town get blown up might sound cool in theory, but since it was your mentor's home I guess it had to be pretty awful."

Zack blinked in surprise and rolled over to stick his head over the side of the bunk. "How the hell did you know that?"

Kunsel grinned up at him, laced his fingers behind his head and shrugged. "I told you before, Zack. I'm the eyes and ears of this establishment...whether the big guys know it or not. It's hard to hide things from the invisible dude."

"You'd make a really good spy," Zack huffed before rolling back over.

"Nah, it would be too much work."

Zack grinned. Leave it to Kunsel to find a way to cheer him up.

* * *

The next day, Sephiroth reported on the results of his diplomatic mission.

"Godo Kisaragi will agree to the terms of the negotiation and order a cease fire," explained the general to the president and the department administrators, "but he has a condition he wants to see fulfilled, to ensure ShinRa's good faith."

"And what is this 'condition'?" inquired President Shinra impatiently.

"A marriage agreement." Sephiroth smirked slightly as he said it and his eyes went to Tseng, sitting at Veld's right side.

Everyone followed his gaze with puzzlement and Tseng looked politely ignorant. "What has this to do with me, General?"

Sephiroth began a slow walk around the oval table, crossing his arms over his chest. "Emperor Godo would prefer to see his family line continued with noble blood. It seems Tseng comes from a bloodline of Wutai nobility. Kisaragi wants a marriage contract drawn up between his daughter Yuffie and Tseng of the Turks."

Rufus snorted softly and he quickly schooled his features when his father looked at him. "I had no idea Wutai was in the practice of assigning child brides to grown men."

"In seven years, she'll be of age," Tseng said—looking none too happy. "I presume this contract is meant to be acted upon when that day comes. Arranged marriage is still fairly common, in Wutai."

"No wonder you left," Palmer said with a snicker. A glare from Veld shut him up.

"The age gap may seem big now," Reeve postulated. "But seven years isn't much of a stretch for adult relationships. My parents had a ten year age gap separating them."

"Of course _you_ would say that," Scarlet said with a delicate, ruby sneer. It was no secret that she and the head of urban development despised one another. "The thought of men having access to young girls for sexual gratification must give you a cheap thrill."

Always a man of class, Reeve didn't allow her open slander to rattle him. "My dear Scarlet; what you don't know about me could fill a book."

"Enough," warned the president when the voluptuous blonde started to retort. "This is a serious matter. If we're to gain access to Wutaian land without further losses, this negotiation must take place. Tseng, this is your chance to prove your ultimate loyalty to his organization. Will you sign the contract?"

Tseng hesitated for a moment, glancing at Veld. The older Turk gave him a subtle nod of encouragement and the Wutaian sighed and nodded. "For the organization, I'll do whatever is necessary."

"Good then," approved President Shinra. He tapped the bell on the table. "This meeting is adjourned."

* * *

-To be continued

**_Additional author's note: _**_If you check the events of the FF7 game compilation, you'll find that eight years pass between the beginning of Crisis Core and the events of Dirge of Cerberus. "Ashen Skies" begins roughly after the events of DOC (even though these events occurred differently in my AU). I say this for people who may wonder how my time line parallels the canon one._


	4. Chapter 4

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter Four: Incentive

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note: _**_I don't think I'd want Angeal mad at me. _

* * *

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters. _**

* * *

They arrived at Modeoheim two days later, exhausted and chilled from the long journey. Going from the semi-tropical climate of Banora to the freezing climate of Modeoheim was hard on the system; even for SOLDIER operatives. Genesis guided Angeal to the factory outside of Modeoheim, where he'd helped Hollander build a lab to conduct testing and cloning experiments. When they arrived, there was no sign of Hollander or any of the Genesis copies they had created there. They walked the cold, tiled floors of the abandoned factory and took note of the evidence of a hasty retreat. The good doctor left some things behind in his hurry, but the most important items were gone, like him. Angeal was inspecting an empty containment pod when Genesis' swearing revealed the biggest problem.

"He took my fucking samples."

Angeal looked away from the containment pod with a frown, his eyes sweeping over Genesis and settling on the refrigerating unit he'd opened. "What 'samples'?"

"My cells," explained Genesis. He dragged his fingers through his hair and kicked at the cooling unit. "I let him take various blood and tissue samples for testing and cloning. That's how we made the copies."

Angeal shut his eyes and fought a groan. "Genesis...what possessed you to trust him with any of that?"

"Oh, I don't know," snapped the redhead, "maybe the fact that my body is deteriorating and I wanted to stop it from happening? Try and keep up, Hewley."

It was probably as close as Gen would come to admitting he was just plain scared. Angeal couldn't fault him. "Why do you think he left? You didn't contact him to tell him we were coming. He shouldn't have had any reason to suspect you might turn on him."

"How should I know?" sighed Genesis. "Maybe the company sent someone here to investigate and they were getting too close. Maybe my telling him to stay put got him paranoid. What I _do_ know is that the man is now at large, with an entire collection of my genetic material to play with. It seems my copies are going to be used in a war against ShinRa, after all."

Angeal's jaw tightened grimly. "If that happens, your chances for a cure are compromised."

"How do you figure?" demanded Genesis, "and it's not just _my_ cure, by the way. More than likely, it will apply to you as well and perhaps even Sephiroth."

"Because the more focused Hollander is on getting his revenge against Hojo, the less he's going to focus on treating your condition. He'll string you along so that he can keep you on his side but believe me, he's only out for himself."

"Since when did you become an expert on Hollander's thought patterns?"

"I trust my mother," answered Angeal.

"You trust the woman that allowed that man to conduct experiments on you in utero, thus causing this to happen to you?"

Angeal's expression hardened. "I'm going to let that one slide, Genesis. Once."

Even in his shaky state of mind, Genesis knew he'd pushed the boundaries. His face went through an interesting shift of expressions and Angeal could tell he was trying to figure out how to apologize without openly apologizing.

Angeal sighed. "My mother and your parents made a mistake by cooperating with the science department. They've paid for that. Consider this, though; we wouldn't exist if they hadn't signed up for the project."

Angeal walked away, needing time alone to pull his thoughts together. Genesis didn't try to stop him and the big man dared to believe he might feel some remorse for speaking ill of his mother.

* * *

A couple of hours later, a light snow began to fall and Angeal returned to the factory. Genesis was sitting on a broken pillar, studying his precious play. He looked up when he heard Angeal approaching and he scanned him with his eyes to be sure he wasn't injured.

"Feeling better?"

Angeal nodded. He didn't really _look_ like he was in better spirits, but neither of them had anything to smile about, now.

"May I ask where you went?"

"I found a quiet spot to meditate in." Angeal shrugged. "I just needed time to myself."

"There's a cave system behind Modeoheim, under the mountain," said the poet softly. He looked down at the book in his hands and he tapped his finger against it absently. "I searched it on the off-chance I might find Hollander there."

Angeal nodded. "And?"

Genesis frowned and glanced around. "'And' what? Do you see him here?"

The big man gave him a hard look and Genesis hastily sweetened his attitude. "No, I didn't find any evidence that he fled there. If I were to venture a guess, I'd say he's heading back to Midgar. With Sephiroth growing suspicious, it makes sense that he would want to speed things up, don't you think?"

Angeal considered the information and nodded. "If he's getting desperate, that's a very real possibility."

"Then we should probably go there."

Angeal measured him with his eyes. "I want you staying out of sight. Travel with me, but avoid being seen or contacting anyone."

Genesis resisted the urge to snap at him. "And why is that, pray tell?"

"Because you're a wanted fugitive," answered the big man. "You lay low while I go and search for Hollander. I haven't committed any crime yet, so even if they attempt to capture and arrest me, they have no legal basis for holding me."

"Interesting, how you use the word 'yet'. Is it your intention to commit a crime soon, Hewley?"

Angeal smirked without humor. "That depends on Hollander."

Genesis tilted his head. "Don't take my path, Angeal. It's not for you."

"I'll keep that in mind. Just conserve your strength and let me deal with Hollander."

Genesis smirked at him, well aware that he was trying to prevent him from acting on any of his earlier plans. "So you're going to try to babysit me while attempting to capture Hollander and avoid ShinRa authorities at the same time? Aren't you the ambitious one."

Angeal grimaced. "I've told you before, Genesis; I keep my promises. I said I would help you and I meant it. You have to cooperate with me, though."

Genesis sighed. He couldn't help but admire his friend's unwavering stoicism and sense of honor. Sometimes he envied him for it. Thinking of that, he was reminded of why Angeal stormed off and he buckled down to do something he had never been good at: admit he was wrong and apologize. He shut his eyes and began to speak.

"About what I said earlier, before you left. I shouldn't have said that about your mother. She was...a good woman. It wasn't my place to forgive or condemn her and if nothing else, I should have considered your feelings."

There was a moment of utter silence, and then: "Now open your eyes and say that."

Genesis heaved another sigh and obediently opened his eyes. He looked up at the ceiling and began to repeat himself. "I shouldn't have said that abou—"

"Look at me."

"You're determined to make this as hard as possible, aren't you?"

Angeal didn't back down. "If you're sincere, you'll at least try to look me in the eye while you apologize. I'm still going to help you regardless, so this only matters if you think it does."

Genesis clenched his jaw. His friend was giving him a pass to stop this foolishness, but he knew Angeal's respect for him would suffer if he took it. The man felt obligated to fulfill his vow, but that didn't mean he had to remain friends with Genesis to do it. The thought of losing that friendship troubled him and he swallowed his pride. He looked straight into Angeal's eyes and just let it out, free of embellishment.

"I'm sorry I said that about your mother."

Angeal's chiseled features relaxed into a small, wistful smile. "That's all I needed from you. Was it _really_ so hard, Gen?"

Genesis shrugged, his face warming. The look Hewley was giving him was...distracting. "You know me better than anyone alive. It's a moot question."

"So it is," agreed the big man. He reached out and patted Genesis on the shoulder. "That's what makes an apology from you special. Thanks."

Genesis shrugged and grumbled under his breath.

* * *

_A few days later, at ShinRa headquarters in Midgar:_

Zack found Sephiroth there waiting when he arrived at Lazard's office and he groaned, bracing to hear bad news. The director didn't disappoint him.

"I have good news and bad news," said Lazard as he got out of his chair and approached Zack. "The good news is that you are officially promoted. Congratulations, SOLDIER 1st class Zack."

Zack grinned broadly, even though he knew there was going to be bad news soon following. He looked at Sephiroth and the general granted him a dignified little nod and a quiet, crooked smile.

"Now, onto less joyful matters," Lazard said, smothering the good mood. "The company wants Soldiers Hewley and Rhapsodos exterminated. I received orders from the president this morning and he isn't going to reconsider his decision. I've already tried."

"But _why_?" demanded Zack. "They haven't done anything...well, okay Genesis had his bloodbath in Banora, but Angeal hasn't—"

"They're a liability," guessed Sephiroth, interrupting Zack's tirade, "and the one thing ShinRa fears is bad press."

Lazard nodded. "Zack, you know it's been established since he defected that Angeal is going to be an accessory to whatever crimes Genesis commits. He's had multiple chances to return and explain himself, yet he's chosen not to. The president doesn't want this to get any worse than it already has and he believes the best way to do that is to eliminate the risk. The offer to lift the execution order in exchange for their cooperation has been rescinded."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes on the director. "I'm interested in why you're telling us this. I believe Zack and I both made our position clear on any assassination attempts. You know we won't turn on them."

Zack breathed a little easier, thankful to Sephiroth for saying what was on his mind too.

"I'm well aware of that," agreed Lazard. He looked at both of them respectively, his gaze resolute. "I'm not giving you this information because I want you to take the mission. If it hasn't been made clear already, I don't want Rhapsodos or Hewley killed any more than you do."

Zack was admittedly confused. "Then...why tell us any of this?"

"Because as their friends, I thought you should know. What the two of you choose to _do_ with this information is up to you."

"So you're warning us," reasoned Zack, "so we can warn _them_, if we get the chance."

Lazard's face was void of expression. "Interpret it how you choose, Fair. Now, if you'll both excuse me—"

The lights suddenly went out, leaving the three young men in the dark. Just as Zack was about to blurt a confused question, the backup power kicked in and the warning lights overhead began to blink red. Alarms began to blare and Lazard hastily went to his monitor to check the security status.

"We're under attack. This may be the chance you gentlemen need, if you intend to act on the information I've given you."

"How do you know it's Genesis?" questioned Zack as he impulsively reached for his sword.

"Because I don't think anyone else would be bold enough to wage an open attack on ShinRa headquarters," replied Lazard coolly. "At any rate, I need you both to defend this building."

Zack exchanged a look with Sephiroth and shrugged. Sephiroth readied his masamune and regarded Lazard thoughtfully before urging him to get to a secure room and stay there. He then made some calls to ensure Hojo, the president and all of the company VIP's were out of danger.

"Lets go," Sephiroth said once he was satisfied.

* * *

Zack and Sephiroth found Lazard's assumptions to be true—at least, as far as they could tell. Headquarters was overrun with Genesis copies. The clones attacked with single-minded determination and it was all the two Soldiers could do to drive them back. They seemed to have a purpose, but of course, they didn't answer Zack when he demanded they tell him what they were after. With a lot of effort and a few bruises to show for it, Zack and Sephiroth cleared the building of enemies and got it secured. Sephiroth made some calls and ordered several groups of both regular militia and SOLDIER operatives to guard the building and ensure no further enemies breached the perimeter.

"There are more in the streets," Sephiroth announced, looking through the front windows with narrowed eyes. Fortunately, the glass was shatterproof and the copies wouldn't be able to easily force their way in through the front entry.

"So what are we doing?" Zack asked eagerly, spoiling for a fight.

Sephiroth considered their options and the enemies fighting ShinRa troops in the streets. With headquarters secured and the director locked in a safe room, there was little left to do in the building. However, Angeal and Genesis would likely make an appearance eventually, if bringing down ShinRa was their goal. He'd spoken briefly with Tseng when making security arrangements and he knew the Turks were out there, clearing out and securing city sectors.

"Go to sector 8," Sephiroth ordered after some thought. "Contact Tseng there and assist him, if he requires it."

"You got it," Zack agreed. His amethyst gaze scanned Sephiroth curiously. "What will _you_ be doing?"

"I'll be getting some answers," replied Sephiroth.

Zack cocked his head with wolfish curiosity, but he didn't question him.

* * *

Zack did as he was ordered and he helped the Turks fight off some of the copies in Sector 8. He earned a lecture from Tseng when he spent as much time flirting with Cissnei as he did fighting off the enemy. He met Reno, Rude and Elena for the first time while he was there and he fell into instant like with the spunky, foul-mouthed redheaded Turk. The two of them exchanged banter as they fought, until Tseng got onto them and warned them to concentrate on the job. When they finally defeated all enemies in the area, Tseng called in some backup to keep it secure and he got word that Hollander was spotted in Sector 5. He advised Zack of this, knowing that SOLDIER was in charge of the investigation concerning the missing doctor.

"Where was he heading when they spotted him?" Zack inquired, eager to find the man and question him about what happened to Angeal and Genesis.

"The reactor," answered Tseng. He looked around at his sparse manpower. "I would send people to investigate myself, but we have our hands full securing the city."

"No problem," Zack said. "I'll go check it out and if he's there, I'll bring him in."

* * *

Sephiroth stopped outside the data room, hesitating. Inside, he would find top-secret files on the Research Department—and possibly answers to some of the questions he had about himself. Hojo was hiding something from him...he didn't need his mother's voice to tell him that. Records of past scientific experiments and procedures were kept in this room, along with classified information concerning the SOLDIER project and its origins.

If he broke protocol and stepped into that room, there would be no going back. Whatever he found in there could change his life forever—and not necessarily for the better. He saw his reflection peering back at him from the glass of the small, square window and the inhuman glitter of his serpentine eyes reminded him of how different he really was.

Steeling himself, he decided to take this opportunity while it was available. He fished Hojo's keycard out of a pocket in his jacket and he turned it over in his fingers before using it to open the locking mechanism on the door. It was careless of the man to leave the object behind when he left his lab, but it presented an opportunity to Sephiroth that he just couldn't pass up. The general went inside the data room and locked the door behind him.

* * *

Zack knew he was on the right track when he had to fight off more Genesis copies on his way into the reactor. After defeating them, he made his way further into the reactor, staying alert for danger all the while. He fought two more battles on the way down before he passed through a door and discovered what appeared to be a sort of lab. Zack scratched his head as he looked around at all of the scientific equipment, wondering how long it had been like this. He found a couple of documents lying around and he read them hastily, frowning.

"Ange is going to deteriorate?" Zack whispered, horrified. Casting another wary look around him, he stuffed the documents into a pocket. He heard something clatter to the floor on the western side of the room and he went to investigate.

"Hollander, you might as well come out," Zack called as he moved around the room, keeping his sword ready. "You're wanted for questioning and there's no way you're getting past me."

He saw a blur of white as a middle-aged, bearded man came out from behind a steam valve and tried to make a run for the exit.

"Oh, no you don't!" Zack lunged for him and he caught him by the arm in passing, halting his egress. He grunted as the man kicked out at him, striking him above the knee. "Cool it, Doc! I'm not going to hurt you unless you make me! Just cooperate and you won't be—"

A huge, familiar blade interposed itself between Zack and Hollander as the older man broke free and ran for the exit. Zack stared up the length of the blade at his mentor's grim face. The only thought that came to his mind was that Angeal was actually _using_ his sword—even though he hadn't actually attacked him yet.

"What about wear, tear and rust?" Zack blurted.

Angeal's lips briefly twitched. "The possibility of weapon deterioration doesn't bother me as much as it used to."

"Because it's going to happen to you too?" guessed Zack. He pointed at the fleeing Hollander. "Look, he's getting away! Whatever's happening to you and Genesis, that guy might be able to fix it! Let me by, Ange!"

"That's why I can't let you take him in, Zack." Angeal blocked the younger man's attempt to get past him, his expression unyielding. "I don't know how you learned about the deterioration, but if you know about that, you should understand why we need Hollander in _our_ custody...not ShinRa's."

"But, he's not going to be in _anyone's_ custody if you don't either let me by or get him yourself," Zack pointed out. Hollander was already out of sight, probably on his way out of the reactor. "Look, we can work this out, man. I _know_ we can. I'm your friend, remember?"

Angeal faltered. "None of this is your fault, Zack, but you have a duty. You have to try and bring me in."

Zack groaned. "Boy, you're hard to reason with. Angeal, it's not all black and white and to me, it would be more of a disgrace of honor to turn on you than to not do my job, okay? Listen, they want you and Genesis dead. They aren't interested in hearing your side of things anymore."

Angeal bowed his head and nodded. "I see. Then, you have to fight me."

"Did you listen to _anything_ I just said?" demanded Zack as the big man got into a combat stance and looked at him expectantly. "I'm not going to fight you, Angeal! You'll have to murder me first."

Angeal faltered again, his expression full of conflict. "I'd rather not hurt you, Zack."

"Then don't," urged Zack with a shrug. "We don't need to fight and the more we stand here arguing about it, the further away Hollander gets. Why don't we just concentrate on capturing him and go from there? Let's put aside all this other crap and work together, for now."

Angeal regarded him warily for a moment, before lowering his blade and giving a nod. "Agreed. Let's—"

"I knew it," interrupted Genesis' voice from the open door. It startled Zack enough to draw a yelp from him and even Angeal jumped a bit. "The feculent fink moved his cloning operation here."

"Genesis, I told you to stay out of sight," admonished Angeal as Zack stared at the redhead.

"You said nothing of staying out of _your_ sight," replied Genesis calmly. "And your puppy doesn't count, either."

Angeal sighed. "Did you grab Hollander?"

Genesis frowned. "Do you see him in my custody?"

"But you had to pass him on your way in here," objected Zack. "He just ran out of here minutes ago."

"He was _here_?" Genesis looked behind him. "I didn't see him. I came in here to investigate myself and I knew someone was down here when I saw the bodies of the clones."

Angeal sighed. "I'm sure the man knows this place better than we do. He probably took a different route leaving than Genesis took coming in."

"Then we'll have to find him again," groaned Zack. "Any idea where he would have gone? I mean, Lazard said he was probably working with Genesis."

Genesis raised his eyebrows. "Did he, now? Isn't that interesting."

"Why?" Zack didn't see what was so interesting about it and Genesis was hard to comprehend on his best days.

Angeal looked at his partner suspiciously. "Yes, why is that interesting, Genesis?"

The poet shrugged and examined the ruby blade of his sword absently. "It's interesting that he would so easily guess the truth. Would you like to keep debating this subject, or would you like to capture him before he slips completely out of our grasp?"

Zack looked at Angeal. "Should we split up?"

Angeal shook his head and looked to Genesis. "I think I know where he could be going. His purpose here was to get revenge, after all."

"Hojo," Genesis said, as if silently communicating with the big man. He nodded. "With his plan falling apart around his ears, he's going to lose his opportunity for satisfaction, soon. He's getting desperate and reckless."

"Hojo's locked up in one of the secure rooms on the top floor of headquarters," informed Zack. "I doubt some middle-aged dude can break in there and kill him on his own."

"Hollander is a lot more dangerous than he looks," Angeal warned. "The man is a genius. He's managed to elude us and the authorities, build a lab directly under ShinRa's nose and make off with Genesis' DNA."

Genesis nodded. "Even with his access frozen, he has ways to get around it. He has an accomplice on the inside and he _will_ find a way to get to Hojo, if we allow him the chance to try."

Angeal looked at Genesis suspiciously. "It's Lazard, isn't it?"

Zack stared at his mentor. "Huh?"

"What's Lazard?" Genesis asked casually.

"The accomplice," elaborated Angeal. "The contact you and Hollander have been using to monitor ShinRa's activities and plan your attack? It's Lazard, isn't it?"

Zack ogled him. "You think Director _Lazard_ is a traitor? Ange...what the hell have you been smoking?"

"It's Lazard," admitted Genesis, his aqua gaze locked with Angeal's. "How long have you known?"

"I wasn't sure until now," answered Angeal. "I knew it had to be someone with top-level security clearance and it was unlikely to me that the president or his son would sabotage their own company. Your reaction to Zack's comment about Lazard assuming you were working with Hollander really gave it away."

Genesis golf-clapped. "Very good, Angeal. I've always said you're far more intelligent than you look."

"You're too kind," answered the big fighter dryly. "Deusericus' betrayal can wait, for now. We need to capture Hollander, before it's too late."

"Wait, wait," Zack pleaded, struggling to absorb the information that his regiment's top authority was indeed a traitor, "Why would Lazard turn on the company like this? It doesn't make any sense!"

"He's a neglected bastard attempting to avenge a dead whore," Genesis answered. "That's the gist of it, anyway. I'm sure you and Sephiroth will want to interrogate him later. Lazard is the least of your concerns, right now."

That being said, Genesis turned to go. Angeal joined him and they began to argue softly, while poor Zack followed behind in helpless confusion, trying to decipher the vague information Genesis had given him. As Angeal passed beneath one of the overhead lights, Zack noticed a glint of white in his hair and Zack frowned. Like Genesis, Angeal was beginning to go prematurely gray. Neither of them looked any older but their vibrancy and color was beginning to fade.

* * *

Sephiroth checked the number when his phone rang. His eyes went back to the screen and he continued reading the file he'd pulled as he answered the call.

"What is your status, Zack?"

"I'm in the air."

Sephiroth frowned. "Pardon?"

"I said: I'm in the air." The sound of wind buffeting the phone lent credence to Zack's bizarre claim. "Look out a window to the south, man. You won't believe it until you see it yourself."

Sephiroth glanced at the file again. He'd gone through everything he could possibly access and he'd only learned a few more specks of knowledge for his efforts. "I confess, I'm curious to see where this is going."

He shut down the computer and left the data room exactly as he'd found it, his gloves preventing prints from being left behind. He crossed the hallway to an empty boardroom and he looked out the massive glass window to the south.

"What exactly am I looking for, Zackary?"

"The three dudes flying toward you," answered Zack. "You can't really miss us if you look in the air."

Sephiroth's brows drew together. When Zack said he was "in the air", he assumed he meant he was in a chopper or on an airship, for whatever reason. Sephiroth could see a couple of Turk choppers far in the distance over the plate, but he couldn't see—

At once, he spotted it and he nearly dropped the phone. Two winged men were flying toward the ShinRa building. The big one's wing almost seemed to glow white and he appeared to be carrying a smaller person with him. The one beside him bore a dark wing that nearly blended in with the night sky.

"What in Gaia..."

"You still there, Seph?"

Sephiroth kept his eyes on the shocking sight and his discipline was the only thing keeping his shock in check. "I'm here. Is that Angeal and Genesis, with you?"

"Yup. They're telling me you need to go find Hojo and keep him safe. Hollander's behind these attacks and they think he's on his way to put Hojo's lights out."

"I see. Relay to them that I'll secure Hojo and detain Hollander, if he makes an appearance."

"Uh...yeah...about that, Angeal wants to take Hollander out of here."

"I can't let him do that," answered Sephiroth.

"I think you should listen to what he and Genesis have to say before you make that call, General. I'll let them explain it when we meet up with you."

"I'll be interested to hear their side of this," agreed Sephiroth, "but I can't make any promises."

He'd discovered something relating to Zack that he had to tell him, too. It seemed between Hojo and Hollander, the lies and deception never ended.

* * *

"To what do I owe the pleasure, boy?" Hojo asked when Sephiroth gained access to the security room and entered.

Sephiroth retrieved Hojo's key card from his pocket and held it out to him. "I found this in your lab when I stopped by there to check your status. You should be more careful, professor. Anyone could have taken this keycard and used it for their own gains."

Hojo took the card from Sephiroth and he draped it around his neck. His black eyes were suspicious on the General as he looked at him from behind the lenses of his glasses. "Wouldn't that be a shame?"

"A terrible shame," agreed Sephiroth neutrally. "You should probably be aware than an old colleague of yours may be on his way here, and his intentions aren't friendly. Hollander is behind these attacks. My sources indicate that his purpose is to get to you. Can you tell me why, Professor?"

"Jealousy," reasoned Hojo dismissively. "That poor excuse for a scientist was always jealous of my skills! He's resented me since the day I became head of the Research Department and it doesn't surprise me at all to learn he's trying to murder me!"

"Why would anyone want to do that?" Sephiroth said facetiously.

Hojo adjusted the frames of his glasses and smirked up at the tall, silver-haired warrior. "You should be more charitable, my boy. Your strength, speed and brilliance in the field are all results of my work on you. Without me, you would be as average as any infantryman—though perhaps a bit smarter."

"Wouldn't that be a crime," muttered Sephiroth. He moved around the blue-carpeted room, checking the windows and the air ducts. He knew better than to press Hojo for details concerning the processes he used on him to enhance his genetic makeup. The man always gave him the same story about higher doses of Mako and cellular enhancement formula. He would never tell him what the cellular enhancement formula was _made_ of.

"I suggest you have a seat on the couch over there and try to get comfortable," said Sephiroth. "We could be here for a while."

* * *

Dr. Hollander did indeed know the upper plate better than most people. He gained access to ShinRa headquarters through the sewers and the duct system, eluding security with shocking ease. If it was the last thing he did in life, he would see Hojo pay the ultimate price for his betrayal. He supposed he could have gone to someone with the truth about Hojo stealing his research to use in another top-secret, underground project but he knew at least two of the department heads were already aware of it and so was the president, himself. The corruption ran so deep that he had a good chance of getting himself killed if he went to anyone with the information. He didn't even know where the project was taking place—only that it existed.

He came out of the duct system into one of the top floor bathrooms and he listened carefully at the door before pushing it open and checking the hallways. He'd already taken care of the security system, so as long as the main power grid stayed down, he could move without worrying about the cameras. He drew the gun in his coat and made his way carefully to the panic rooms, where any department heads on the premises would have gone and hidden themselves. He knew which one Hojo was in, thanks to Lazard's information. He briefly wiped sweat from his brow before pressing on.

He would have his vengeance before this night was through. After that, he didn't care what happened to him.

* * *

Having Zack along with them saved Genesis and Angeal the pain of fighting their former associates. Zack ordered all SOLDIER operatives and militia to stand down as he led his companions through the building and to the stairwell. They could have broken into one of the top-floor windows to save themselves the hassle, but Angeal didn't want to add destruction of property to the list of reasons ShinRa wanted him and Genesis out of the picture.

"I hardly think a broken window would have made our case any worse," Genesis huffed as the three of them climbed...and climbed. "We'll be too out of breath to catch Hollander, by the time we make it to the top floors."

"We'll be fine," insisted Angeal. "A few stairs is nothing, compared to most of the training we've endured as Soldiers."

"You owe me a cappuccino, when this is finished," huffed Genesis. "Or a latte...depending on my mood."

"If we can find a coffee shop that won't turn us in, I'll gladly buy whatever you want."

Zack chuckled. "Latte? Wow...you're kind of girly, Genesis."

Genesis abruptly stopped and Zack almost face-planted in his ass. The redhead turned and glared down at Zack, making him re-think his observation.

"Uh...I mean girly in a _manly_ way," Zack hastily revised.

"We have a more important issue to worry about," reminded Angeal to both of them. "You can debate coffee and masculinity later."

* * *

Hollander heard the door to the fire escape open and he saw Angeal step into the hallway first. He immediately dove into the first un-locked room he could access and he heard Angeal shout his name as he shut the door and locked it. He quickly looked around the room and he dragged one of the chairs around the meeting table over to the door, trying to barricade it. He barely got the piece of furniture in place before the door burst open, throwing him to the floor. The barrier was no match for the strength of an enhanced Soldier. It hung on by one hinge as Angeal entered the room, grim-faced and silent.

"Dr. Hollander," greeted Angeal coolly as Genesis Rhapsodos and Zack Fair came in behind him. "I think we have something to discuss."

* * *

Genesis watched as his companion confronted Hollander, and he had to admire Angeal's calm and control. He could see the tension in the big man's shoulders and he knew he was struggling with the revelations concerning his origins. It must surely be hard on him, learning that his biological father made his mother swear never to tell him who he was. Knowing the same man had experimented on him without remorse or concern for his survival must be even harder. Genesis could certainly relate to the feelings of betrayal his friend must be suffering.

"Don't do something you may regret," advised Hollander. Even as he spoke, he reached for his weapon. Angeal slapped the gun out of his hand as easily as if he were a child and Hollander watched it skitter across the floor with anxious eyes.

"You should take your own advice," said Angeal in a low, dangerous voice.

Genesis felt a chill go down his spine. He'd only ever heard Angeal use that tone of voice when he was at the end of his rope. If Hollander wasn't careful, he might soon find himself headless. Zack started to retrieve his cell and call Sephiroth, to inform him that they had Hollander cornered. Genesis drew his blade on him and shook his head before he could press a single button.

"Put it away, Fair."

Zack looked from the redhead to Angeal. "Come on, this is getting out of hand."

"I told you before, Zack," Angeal said without taking his eyes off Hollander, "we need to take him into custody...not ShinRa. I'm sorry, but I can't let you get anyone else involved."

"Not even Sephiroth?" prompted Zack, raising his eyebrows. "I thought you three were best buds. You've got to tell him your side of things."

"Especially Sephiroth," answered Angeal. "He has his own problems to worry about and I won't add betraying us to his burdens."

"He wouldn't betray you!"

Genesis smirked. "You're so very naive, Zack. It's almost cute."

"Sephiroth is known for putting his duty above his feelings," explained Angeal. "I won't make him choose between letting us go with Hollander or turning us in. Neither should you."

Zack sighed and put away his phone. "I hope you guys know what you're doing."

"Genesis, you must trust me," Hollander said to the redhead, "I'm the only one who can cure your condition! Angeal, you'll begin to deteriorate over time as well. I can see you've already begun developing symptoms."

"And you're going to cure them," answered Angeal levelly.

"You must help me bring down ShinRa, first," insisted Hollander. "Only then can I gain full access to the laboratory I need! Hojo stands in the way of—"

"I don't believe you," interrupted Angeal. "You don't need the ShinRa labs to do this. That's just an excuse to get your personal revenge."

"I need the equipment here," Hollander said stubbornly. "Do you think that sort of technology is available just anywhere?"

"Then wing it," suggested Genesis with a shrug. "If you could manage to make a cloning lab in a warehouse and another in a Mako reactor, you can manage this."

Angeal nodded. "Exactly. No more lies, Hollander. You don't have a choice."

"You know I'm your father, don't you?" Hollander persisted. "Don't you think I _want_ to cure your condition, son?"

"Don't..._ever..._call me that." Angeal's eyes flashed with uncharacteristic rage. "I'm Gillian Hewley's son, not yours. You were just a sperm donor."

"Be that as it may, you are my flesh and blood," argued Hollander. "If you think I want you to degenerate, you're wrong."

"I don't think you care one way or the other," Angeal said, "but I know you care about your own life."

Nobody in the room could have predicted what Angeal did next—not even Genesis. The big man gave Hollander a sudden, violent shove that sent him flying right through the window. Unlike the first floor lobby, the glass on the top floor windows weren't shatterproof—save those in the secure rooms. The hapless scientist burst through the window and began to fall to the city below, amidst glittering shards of glass. Zack stood there in slack-jawed stupidity and Genesis felt like his feet were glued to the floor in his shock. Angeal manifested his wing and he leaped out the window behind Hollander. Genesis finally found the power to move again. He ran to the shattered window and looked down to see that his partner had caught Hollander by the lab coat, and was holding him suspended over a killing drop.

"Can you fly, Doctor?" Angeal asked coldly.

"Please," begged Hollander at the top of his lungs, his eyes huge, "D-don't drop me, Angeal!"

Zack was calling out to Angeal but the big man didn't seem to hear him. "My mother went hungry some nights, just to ensure I got enough food," Angeal said ominously as the doctor grabbed frantically at him, clinging to his arm. "She went without medicine when she was sick. You could have done something about that, but you chose not to."

"Angeal, don't do it, man!" Zack's shout carried on the wind, but he may as well have whispered for all the effect it had on his mentor.

"You want Hojo for revenge," said Angeal to the doctor. "That's a sentiment I'm learning to appreciate. If I drop you now, would it be justice? Some people would answer 'yes'."

"Angeal."

Genesis spoke his name urgently and unlike Zack, his voice got through the haze of righteous anger. The big man looked up at him and Genesis shook his head warningly, letting his gaze speak for him. Killing Hollander wouldn't bring Gillian back and it would sign both their death warrants.

Angeal visibly struggled with himself before making his decision. He looked Hollander in the eye and he spoke in a tone that commanded respect. "You're going to give up this scheme and come with us. You're going to put everything you have into finding a cure for this degeneration. That's your only choice, Hollander. Agree to cooperate or fall to your death."

The choice was easy for any sane person, and Hollander demonstrated that he wasn't completely mad by conceding to Angeal's terms.

* * *

After Genesis and Angeal left with Dr. Hollander, Zack called Sephiroth and told him it was all over. When everything calmed down, he officially reported that Hollander escaped—but he went to Sephiroth's quarters later that night and he told him the truth. He described the events from the time he left headquarters to the moment Angeal and Genesis left with Hollander. He showed him the documents he'd found in the makeshift lab inside the reactor and he braced himself as he informed him of the worst part.

"That's not all, Seph. Director Lazard is in on it, too. He's the one that's been warning Hollander and Genesis when authorities go looking for them. Genesis wouldn't tell me why, but Lazard's been working with them from the beginning, to bring the company down."

Zack sighed and lowered his gaze, fiddling with the arm of the chair he sat on. "I guess you'll want to demote me now, huh? I mean, since I let them get away with Hollander and didn't come get you right away."

There was utter silence from the general. Zack started to look up at him, dreading the anger he might find in that feline gaze. He was treated to a sharp swat on the back of the head before he could do so and he yelped and rubbed the smarting spot.

"Don't tell me what to do with my command, Fair." Sephiroth's mouth quirked. "Come with me to the Director's office. You and I have some things to discuss with Deusericus."

* * *

Lazard thought the two operatives requested this additional meeting to discuss new information they'd found. He was all too correct; but the nature of the information wasn't what he expected. When the Soldiers came into his office and Sephiroth bade Zack stand by the door, Lazard began to feel uneasy. The cold, unblinking gaze of the general made him even more nervous and if he weren't so certain the man would cut his hand off before he could draw it, he would have reached for the gun in his drawer.

"What is this all about, General?"

Sephiroth leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "Have a seat, Director. Let's discuss your involvement in Hollander's attack on this establishment."

Lazard looked from Sephiroth to Zack with an expression of protest. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Genesis told me," Zack said, watching the blond man with a disappointed look on his face.

"And you've been acting strange, lately," Sephiroth said. "Unless you can give us a plausible reason Genesis would lie about such a thing, I have no choice but to believe his word."

"Genesis Rhapsodos is out of his mind," Lazard reminded. "I thought that was already made abundantly clear when he slaughtered his family."

"Angeal backed him up," Zack said, "And I know for a _fact_ he's not bonkers. Don't even _try_ to convince me he's lying too, Director. I don't want to lose anymore respect for you than I already have."

Lazard started to argue further, but he looked up at Sephiroth again and something inside of him broke. He sighed and propped his elbows on the table, putting his head in his hands. "All right...it's all true. I've been trying to sabotage this company from within...but I never wanted any of my men to get hurt. You must at _least_ believe me when I say that. I've done everything possible to protect Rhapsodos and Hewley, through all of this."

"We know," agreed Sephiroth, "and that's the reason we came to hear your side of this, before turning you in."

"Why would you betray SOLDIER?" Zack said. "You seem so passionate about it!"

"I am," answered the blond, his handsome features troubled. "My actions aren't anything personal against this department. If I could have brought the whole of ShinRa down without compromising SOLDIER, I would have."

"Tell us why you did it," Sephiroth demanded, "and we'll decide what to do from there."

Lazard took his glasses off and set them on the desk. "Have you noticed a resemblance between myself and a certain company VIP, Sephiroth?"

The Soldiers stared at him curiously and of course, Sephiroth made the connection first. "Rufus. The vice president."

"So...how are you two related?" Zack questioned, noting the many similarities in facial structure as well.

"He's my half-brother," sighed the director. "Before he was born, the president had an affair with my mother. She was a...an entertainer at the Honeybee Inn. My f—President Shinra promised he would give her a better life if she became his permanent mistress. He lied. He never came to see us after I was born and eventually, my mother killed herself. I was placed with a foster family and after I finished school, the president gave me this position. I'd like to think he did it because some part of him felt a bit of sentiment, but I'm more inclined to believe it was sheer pride and vanity. He couldn't stand the thought of knowing his own flesh and blood was working a low-end job—not even an illegitimate son. I did this to avenge my mother and see that man suffer, as he deserves."

"Wow," Zack said uncomfortably. "That's...that's rough. So _that's _what Genesis meant when he said...uh...it's not important."

The general stood unmoving, staring hard at the director's face. Guessing where this would lead, Lazard slowly got out of his chair and held his hands up. "I won't resist. Do what you need to do, General."

Sephiroth made no move to take him into custody. Instead, he offered an alternative. "Director Lazard, you have the ability to contact Genesis, do you not?"

"Yes," answered Lazard suspiciously, "whenever he's in a location that gets reception. We keep in touch with prepaid phones."

"You'll inform me _immediately_ when and if Genesis or Angeal contacts you, from now on. Understood?"

"Of course," answered Lazard in confusion, "but I hardly think that's likely to happen, seeing as I'll be in custody."

"No, you won't."

Zack looked just as surprised as Lazard felt. "He won't?"

"I won't?" Repeated the director, mystified.

"Let me explain my position," Sephiroth said calmly. "This organization has suffered massive blows this year, with the mass defection, Hollander's scheming and the tension we've all seen between departments. My job is to command my men to the best of my ability and do my part to keep this department running. If I'm to do that, I need someone cooperative to work with at the top of the chain of command. Knowing what I do about your involvement in this event, I can report you at any time."

"Yes, you can," agreed Lazard with a frown.

"So long as your plotting ends here and you give me your full cooperation now and in the future, I won't need to do that. Despite everything, you're a good leader with a level head. I don't trust the president to find a better replacement. This incident goes no further than this room, until I say otherwise. Do you both understand that?"

Lazard nodded humbly, having little choice but to go along with it. Zack looked irresolute but he obviously trusted the general's judgment.

"If you think this is the way to go, I'm with you," agreed Zack with a sigh.

* * *

The first thing they did was force Hollander to reveal where his remaining samples of Genesis' genetic material was hidden, deep in the reactor where he'd manufactured further copies. Genesis frowned when he opened the cooler hidden in the wall and counted the vials inside. Angeal noticed and he gave Hollander a warning look before coming up beside his friend.

"What is it?"

"There should be _twice_ as many samples in here, even if considering additional copies he made in here."

Angeal cast a mistrustful glance at the doctor before questioning Genesis in a concerned whisper. "Just how much of your blood and tissue did you let him _take_, Genesis?"

"I couldn't tell you exactly," answered the redhead. "A pint of blood, some nail clippings, a few strands of hair and some skin he extracted from my injury. I believe there was a urine sample in there, too."

Angeal's brows drew down severely. "Genesis!"

"What? Don't judge me, Hewley. You have no idea what it's been like."

Angeal manifested his wing and gave the other man an ironic look. "I don't?"

Genesis smirked a bit and shrugged. "All right...so you do have an idea. The point is, there were a lot more vials before and what he's done that we know of doesn't account for the all the missing ones."

Angeal turned around and immediately approached Hollander. He grabbed the doctor by the lab coat and half-dragged him over to the cooler. He shoved him forward and motioned at the inside. "Where is the rest of it?"

"This is all that's left," answered Hollander. "I used the rest of it for testing purposes, I swear! I can't stop the degeneration without experimenting with the G cells, understand?"

Angeal glanced at Genesis, who nodded grudgingly. The big man returned his gaze to Hollander and he gave him a warning. "It's in your best interest to be completely honest with us, doctor. Remember that."

Hollander opened his mouth to respond, but Genesis approached without warning and stabbed the man directly in the neck with something he held in his hand. Angeal stared at his friend in open bewilderment as Hollander backpedaled and clutched at his throat.

"Genesis, what did you _do_?"

The redhead watched Hollander with a smug look of satisfaction. "I took out an insurance policy."

Angeal looked at the doctor again to see him pull what appeared to be a spent syringe out of his neck. He stared at the object as he held it up in a shaking hand and then he looked at Genesis with wide, accusing eyes.

"That's right," Genesis said before Hollander could issue a question or complaint, "Now _you're_ infected too, doctor. I know the raw sample won't turn you into a copy or make you sprout a wing, but you'll still deteriorate like Angeal and I, if you don't find a cure."

Angeal couldn't decide whether he was more impressed or disturbed by Gen's ruthless stroke of genius. Hollander looked like a man who'd just been put on Death Row.

* * *

-To be continued


	5. Chapter 5

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter Five: Breathless

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note:_**_. A graphic scene has been cut from this chapter. You can read the detailed version at Adult Fanfiction net or Archive of our Own, under the same pen name I use here. Months pass in this chapter, and those who have read "Interlude at the bathhouse" might recognize a brief scene from it in here. _

* * *

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters. _**

* * *

The day after the attack on headquarters, Sephiroth told Zack about his findings in the Data room. "Hojo gave you experimental treatment while he was giving you Mako infusions," informed the general.

Zack blinked. "Seriously? I think I'd remember being experimented on, Seph."

"Not necessarily," answered Sephiroth. "Any symptoms you had as a result of the treatment could be easily blamed on the Mako. You wouldn't have any reason to believe differently, without informed consent."

Zack still had trouble digesting it. "You sure about this?"

Sephiroth nodded. "I found the data when I was searching through classified files. The details have been deleted or moved, but there were records of you being the recipient of S-gene infusion. It's the same process Hojo used on me."

Zack shivered as he stared into Sephiroth's inhuman green eyes. "So, what does that mean? Am I going to start changing or something?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "Doubtful. The incomplete record I found declared the experiment to be a failure. For whatever reason, your body rejected any mutation the treatment could have triggered." He smirked. "I'm sure Hojo was furious."

"Maybe that's why the creepy old geek always gives me those nasty looks when he sees me," hypothesized Zack.

"Possibly," agreed Sephiroth. "His expression is perpetually sour, though. It's difficult to be sure."

Zack laughed a little nervously. "Yeah. It's hard to believe that guy's actually your father. You look nothing alike."

"I'm told I inherited my looks from mother," answered Sephiroth with a crooked, subtle smile. "I'm honestly thankful for that."

"Who could blame you?" Zack grinned. "So uh…you think I'm going to be okay?"

Sephiroth nodded. "I'm sure of it. Something would have changed by now, if you were going to react to the procedure. You can request another physical and some bloodwork, if you're concerned."

Zack shook his head, trusting Sephiroth's word. "Nah, if you think it's okay then I'm sure it is. Can I just ask why you told me this, if it's not going to change anything?"

Sephiroth lowered his gaze. "Because I believe people have a right to know when they've been meddled with, even if it doesn't result in physical alteration."

* * *

Days passed into weeks and weeks passed into months. While Angeal and Genesis worked with Hollander on a cure, Sephiroth kept a close eye on both Hojo and Lazard. Tension between the various departments grew, slowly but steadily. Rufus argued that SOLDIER should take a budget cut, since the desertion weakened the department. Reeve requested a spending boost for urban development, so that they could clean up some of the old sectors beneath the plate and improve the lives of people living down there. Scarlet immediately vetoed the idea and the President agreed with her. To add insult to injury, she convinced the president to increase spending on weapons development.

Things were going from bad to worse, and now that Rufus had come back to Midgar, the mutual disdain between he and Lazard was glaringly obvious to everyone. To his credit, Lazard showed great initiative and he cooperated with Sephiroth to strengthen SOLDIER again—but Rufus was making it difficult.

Zack and Cissnei began to go on dates when their respective duties allowed the spare time. He wanted to confide in her, but her status as a Turk made him wary of being too open. As sweet and compassionate as she was off the clock, Zack had a healthy respect for the kind of work her organization did. She seemed to sense his reservations, but she never confronted him about it or asked him to give more than he was willing to.

Meanwhile, Angeal and Genesis were staying in Mideel with Hollander, still seeking to cure the deterioration before it killed them all. Hollander was very close to a solution, but he needed to perfect the treatment and test it further before administering it to anyone. Genesis had entered the final stage of degeneration and he was weakening rapidly. Angeal pushed Hollander to speed up his research and he fretted over his childhood friend, doing everything he could to keep him alive.

By this time, Genesis was resigned to his fate and he had stopped fighting.

* * *

"Genesis. Wake up."

Genesis didn't respond. Angeal felt panic rising in his breast and he impulsively stroked the ashen pale face. Hating himself for it, he smacked his friend's cool cheek. Genesis groaned and blinked up at him. Though his auburn hair was now completely gray and his skin was clammy and colorless, those eyes were as bright as ever. They glared at Angeal with annoyance.

"Just...leave me be," mumbled Genesis. As the deterioration progressed, he'd become less poetic and more cynical.

"I won't," Angeal refused. "Hollander thinks he's found the right formula. He's testing it on himself now. Keep fighting, Gen."

Genesis sighed. "Told you...I have nothing to fight...for. Just let me...die in peace."

"That isn't going to happen," Angeal insisted. Hollander came in and the bigger Soldier looked over his shoulder at him as he approached. He dared to hope this last formula was a success. The gray that previously streaked Hollander's hair was already fading and his skin had a healthier color to it. "Well?"

"I think we have success," answered the scientist. "Whether it's timely enough to save _him_ remains to be seen."

"Don't bother," Genesis wheezed, turning his head weakly on the pillow to stare at the wall.

Angeal pressed his lips together and motioned the professor closer. "Give him the injection, Hollander. I'll make sure he cooperates."

Geneses struggled feebly as Angeal pulled his arm out of his jacket sleeve and pushed the sleeve of his shirt up. Hollander approached with the syringe and Angeal held Genesis down and restrained his arm for the scientist. Genesis began to thrash and curse but Angeal was too strong for him.

"You...dick," grunted Gen as the needle pushed into his arm. It was unclear whether he was addressing Angeal or Hollander or both of them.

Hollander pushed the plunger down and injected the medication. When it was fully administered, Angeal released his friend and looked down at him with a mixture of guilt and hope. Genesis' eyes drifted shut, his struggles taking the last of his strength. Angeal watched him fall back into a deep sleep and he looked up at Hollander from his seat on the narrow bed.

"How long before we can tell if it's working?"

"In his advanced state of deterioration, it could be a full day," answered Hollander, "and he'll likely need more than one dose. Now it's your turn, Angeal."

Angeal nodded and allowed the professor to give him an injection too. Hollander left him alone in the small room after that and Angeal stayed up all night long, watching over Gen and wiping the sweat from his brow. He finally started to nod off as the sun was rising but he noticed something as the morning light shone through the window. Streaks of Gen's natural auburn color were now blending in with the gray. The pallor of his skin wasn't as severe. His breathing was deep and even. Angeal touched his face and his skin felt warmer to the touch.

"Genesis," murmured Angeal, "can you hear me?"

Again, those arresting eyes fluttered open to look up at him. "Ass."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Angeal said dryly, unable to contain the relieved smile. The treatment was working. All they needed was time and another dose or two to cure his condition completely. Now Angeal noticed that he felt stronger, himself.

"I'm thirsty," complained Genesis.

Angeal went to get a cup of water for him without a word. Genesis was trying to sit up when he returned to the room and Angeal solicitously sat down on the edge of the bed and helped him. Genesis sipped at the tepid water, grimacing as he swallowed. He handed the cup back to Angeal when he'd had enough and he sighed, leaning against the bigger man's supporting embrace.

"Why are you so determined?" Genesis questioned when Angeal set the cup on the crate by the bed. "After what I've done...why?"

"You were mislead," answered Angeal softly, "we all were."

Genesis looked into his eyes. "So, that's it then? It doesn't matter?"

"You deserve a second chance." Angeal stared at the parted lips and he impulsively traced the fine-boned jaw with his fingers. "Genesis, I couldn't just let you die. I..." he couldn't put it into words, so he gathered his courage and lowered his mouth to those lips. Genesis made a surprised noise and Angeal deepened the kiss. Within moments, the redhead was responding to it and clutching at Angeal's sweater. His lips felt heavenly, even if they were a little dry. Angeal continued kissing him for a moment before pulling away. Genesis was staring at him with a dumbstruck expression on his face.

"Just what in the hell was _that_, Hewley?"

Angeal flushed. Maybe he was wrong about Gen's sexual preferences, or maybe he just wasn't attracted to him. "It was a kiss. I'm sorry if I was out of line."

"No, not that," Genesis sighed, "You stopped." He looked gravely insulted.

"You're angry because I stopped?" Angeal frowned in confusion. Genesis could be such a perplexing man.

Genesis stared at him. "You make me feel like I'm _not_ a monster for the first time since this began and then you stop?"

Angeal didn't know what to say, so he pulled his weakened companion closer and kissed him again. Genesis again returned the kiss with passion, making Angeal's pulse beat furiously. The redhead began to kiss along Angeal's jaw, down to his throat.

"Wait, Hollander is just outside," Angeal reminded. "And you need more rest."

"Noble idiot," Genesis sighed, stopping his kisses to rest his forehead against Angeal's shoulder. "You could just take advantage, you know."

"That can come later," insisted Angeal, "when you're recovered."

* * *

Two more treatments and a day later, Genesis' condition was significantly improved. Hollander was busy in the basement of the little house. They were renting the house under false names, on the outer edge of Mideel. They kept a low profile and with any luck, the need for hiding would soon come to an end.

Angeal was away, obtaining vital information pertaining to Sephiroth. Once it was apparent that the treatment was working, Hollander shared an interesting nugget of information he'd previously kept to himself. He had hard copies of files that Hojo destroyed years ago, and they were safely hidden away in Icicle—theoretically. Supposedly, he and Professor Gast made backup copies of the research files pertaining to Sephiroth, with the intention of using them as leverage against Hojo if he ever turned on them. Hollander swore they should still be in Gast's deserted home, unless Gast took them when he vanished from Gaia.

* * *

The old floorboards creaked under Angeal's weight as his boots trod over the surface of them. His breath fogged the air and he counted under his breath as he walked. The townsfolk said something bad happened in this house, some twenty years ago. Rumor had it that some ShinRa troops came there seeking a fugitive and they must have caught him, because there was heavy gunfire and someone came out in a body bag. The bullet holes in the walls and floor lent testimony to the story and Angeal examined them with a practiced eye, tracing some of them with a gloved finger.

"SR-16 rifle," estimated the Soldier upon close examination of the bullet holes. Some appeared to be from a non-military issue weapon, however. The marks were smaller and shallower than the others…possibly from a handgun caliber weapon.

Angeal moved on, reminding himself that his main purpose was to retrieve the files Hollander alleged to be hidden in this house. "Twelve," he murmured, "thirteen…"

He came to a stop at fifteen paces and he began to knock on the wall. *_clop, clop, clop…thunk_*

Angeal paused, frowned and knocked again. There was definitely a hollow space under his hand—or he'd struck an unsupported panel. He stepped back and looked at the paneling thoughtfully. There was an old world map tacked to the wall. Telling himself not to get his hopes up, he pulled the map down and investigated. Sure enough, he could see the outline of a panel cut into the wall and he quickly procured his army knife and began prodding the seams. Moments later, he had a square piece of the wall lying on the floor and he reached into the hold to pull out an old briefcase. He checked inside and found the old documents, carefully protected between clear lament. Hollander and Gast weren't playing around when they took measures to protect them.

Angeal skimmed over them curiously and his frown deepened when he saw the name "Jenova" and got to the part about Lucrecia Crescent. Hojo's lies ran even deeper than Sephiroth suspected and he almost dreaded how his friend would react when he saw this. He could worry about that when the time came, however. This sad old house made him uneasy, with its bloody history, creaky floorboards and drafty walls. He dug his phone out of the long black coat he wore and he walked outside until he got reception. He dialed Genesis to let him know of his findings.

"It's about time you rang, Hewley. I was getting impatient."

Angeal smiled into the collar of his coat. "Sorry to make you worry. Hollander was telling the truth. I found the documents exactly where he said they would be. I'm going to warm up a little and then I'll start heading back."

"Well, what sort of information is in them?" questioned Genesis.

"It's all about Sephiroth and what was done to him," answered Angeal. "I've only skimmed over them but I've already found a major contradiction to what Seph was told about his mother. We can go over them together when I make it back."

"Hmm…I'm _very_ curious now, but I'd rather not keep you. Watch your ass, Angeal."

Angeal nodded, though the redhead couldn't see it. "I'll see you in a couple of days. Get plenty of rest, Gen."

"Pfft…nursemaid."

* * *

Genesis showered, dressed and brushed his teeth. It was a blessing to be able to do those things on his own again and he checked out his reflection in the cracked, full-length mirror against the wall. He'd lost a little weight during his ordeal, but he knew he could correct that quickly with routine exercise and sparring. He thought of the kisses he'd shared with Angeal since receiving the treatment and he smirked.

Yes…sparring with Angeal would be a most satisfying way to exercise. The big ninny could arrive at any moment and Genesis was both amused and frustrated by the butterflies in his stomach. Angeal had promised they'd take things further when he was strong enough. Well, most of his strength had returned and Genesis was more than ready to step onto the next level. He supposed he should have _some_ concern over the risk he could be taking, changing the dynamics of his relationship with Angeal. After all, if things went sour he could lose his oldest, closest friend for good.

Genesis frowned at the thought, his gaze reflecting back at him in the mirror. What if this really _was_ a mistake? Angeal wasn't even the type he usually went for and he had _no idea_ how a sexual encounter with the man would pan out. Could he take a different role, if needed? He wanted to think that he could for Angeal, but the question was, would he _like_ it enough to do it again?

Genesis sighed and watched as his reflected image shook its head with him. "Minerva…what am I _thinking_? I can't do this with him."

The sound of the front door opening and shutting distracted him from his inner turmoil and Genesis groaned when his heart skipped a beat at the sound of Angeal's deep voice calling out to him.

"I'm in the bedroom," called Genesis—and then he wished he'd just gone out to meet Angeal.

Interacting with the man in the privacy of the bedroom was just asking for trouble. Angeal typically slept in the recliner at the corner of the room or on the couch in the tiny living room. Hollander slept on a cot in the basement. How easy would it be to invite Angeal to share the bed with him from now on and simply toss his reservations out the window?

The man in question stepped into the room and Genesis lost his train of thought again as he looked at him. Angeal had his long coat draped over one arm and he held a briefcase in his free hand. He wore civilian clothes, though he'd had the good sense to take his Buster Sword with him for the trip. The man looked _damned good_ in a pair of stonewashed jeans and lace-up work boots. The forest green crew shirt was just snug enough to mold nicely to his powerful torso and shoulders.

"Gen? Are you okay?"

Genesis blinked and forced his eyes off the taller man's abs. "I'm fine. I just have some water in my ear from the shower. What were you saying?"

* * *

Angeal couldn't quite hide his concern over Genesis' lapse in cognitive response. He eyed the redhead up and down, taking note of the slightly damp hair, the black turtleneck long-sleeve shirt and the loose black pants. He was barefoot and he smelled really good. Angeal chastised himself for focusing on these things and he resisted the urge to check Gen's temperature. He nodded at the bed and dropped his coat on the recliner.

"Let's go over these together. Where's Hollander at?"

"In his cave, as usual." Genesis smirked. "Don't worry; I checked on him before my shower. I believe he's abandoned his desire to wage war on ShinRa, now that he knows we intend to get the truth to Sephiroth. Maybe he believes Seph will kill Hojo for him."

Angeal didn't smile about that. "Maybe he's not far off the mark."

He bent over to untie his boots and after removing them and setting them by his chair, he retrieved the documents and went to the bed. His grim countenance softened as he looked up at Genesis. A spark of desire lit his dark blue eyes as they traveled over Genesis' body and he looked away after a moment, clearing his throat. He patted the spot next to him in silent invitation as he opened the folder to start reading.

Despite his misgivings and uncertainty, Genesis joined him and together, they began to read. Angeal's arm went around his shoulders after the first page and Genesis instinctively leaned into his embrace. The brunet rubbed Genesis' shoulder unconsciously as they read and the redhead settled a hand over Angeal's knee. Somehow, they ended up lying on their sides with Angeal spooning up against Genesis' back and reading over his shoulder.

* * *

"Well," Genesis said after they finished reading the files. "That does shed some light on things. We obviously have to get this information to Sephiroth."

Angeal closed up the folder and he leaned over Genesis' prone body to drop the files back into the briefcase that sat on the floor. "We will." He eased back and nuzzled his jaw. "First, I want to give you a couple more days to rest. We have to bring Hollander with us and keep him carefully monitored, too."

He smiled when Genesis shivered in response to his affectionate actions. He put an arm around the redhead, remembering his promise to him days ago when they first kissed. He drew Genesis tight against him and he kissed the shell of his ear, drawing another little shiver from him. He was hardening quickly with excitement, impassioned by the intimacy of the moment. He'd fantasized so often about this. Genesis was a gorgeous creature by anyone's standards, but his brilliance and passion attracted Angeal as much as his lithe body and good looks. He deliberately rocked against Gen's backside, letting him feel how hard he was getting in his jeans. The heavy, indrawn breath that issued from the redhead's mouth assured him that the message was well-received.

"Angeal," Genesis murmured huskily as the big man slid his hand over his abdomen and started to tug his shirt up.

He turned his head to look at him and Angeal kissed him deeply, too impassioned and eager to notice the ambiguous note in his voice. Genesis made this _sound_ in his throat that worked like gasoline on a fire to Angeal's libido. He'd never heard the redhead make a sound like that before. It was needy and sexy and a little desperate—like he was trying to hold it back but couldn't quite manage it. Angeal groaned into the kiss and he reminded himself to be patient. Rushing this was the last thing he wanted to do.

He pushed his hand up under Gen's shirt and he briefly explored the tight expanse of his stomach. He stroked the smooth muscles with a battle-roughened palm before stroking back down, below the navel. Genesis' tongue performed an intriguing dance against his and it emboldened Angeal. He dropped his hand even lower and he cupped his palm over the tented crotch of Gen's pants. The motions of the redhead's lips and tongue grew more aggressive and he made a different sound. This one was like a cross between a purr and a growl. Genesis suddenly broke the kiss and rolled over in Angeal's embrace, until he was facing him.

"Genes—" Angeal began in surprise, only to have the redhead's mouth crush against his.

The next thing he knew, he was on his back with Genesis stretched out on top of him, rubbing his body sensually against his. Their mouths parted again and Gen's eyes were aglow with lusty intensity as he lifted his head to look down at him.

"I've revised my opinion," Genesis murmured breathlessly. "I can _absolutely_ do this with you and I don't care how it happens."

Angeal stared up at him, thrilled and confused at once. "Okay…that's…good. Genesis, is there something—mmpft."

He was kissing him again—practically sucking his tongue down his throat. Angeal impulsively cupped the twin mounds of Genesis' ass as the redhead straddled his hips. He mumbled in surprise when Genesis' teeth scraped against his tongue, biting down lightly. Nobody had ever done _that_ to him while kissing before. He rubbed his hands over the smaller man's firm bottom and he ground his arousal against Gen's through the layers of their clothes. He was caught somewhere between anxiety, lust and euphoria. When Genesis broke the kiss and outright licked the side of his face, Angeal was stunned to his toes. He was driven to aggression a moment later, when Genesis purred in his ear.

"That's it," grunted the muscular fighter.

He grabbed Genesis' hands, interrupting their attempt to undo his pants. He bucked beneath the redhead and as he lifted him off the mattress, he rolled onto him and pinned him down. A flush of heightened color bloomed over Genesis' cheekbones, driving away the lingering pallor of illness. His eyes flashed up at Angeal challengingly and he smirked at him as the big man's hips settled between his thighs.

"So I take it you intend to take advantage of me, now?" He was breathing heavily and his fingers entwined with Angeal's.

Angeal couldn't think of anything witty to say to that. He merely nodded silently at him and he put all the intensity of his desire behind his gaze. Genesis sobered and for a second, he almost looked scared. Angeal eased up on his hold and he lowered his mouth to Gen's for another kiss—a gentle one, this time. He didn't try to reassure his companion with promises of gentle handling and he didn't ask if he wanted to stop. The former would have only provoked eye-rolling and the latter would have made him seem uncertain to the redhead. Confidence was important, when dealing with Genesis Rhapsodos.

* * *

The next morning, Genesis woke up to the feel of Angeal's hard, naked body spooning his. He opened his eyes and he recalled everything they had done the evening before. Now that he wasn't in the heat of passion, he experienced an interesting blur of shame, resentment, amazement and then amusement—in that exact order. Angeal's breath stirred his hair and his arm was around his waist. It was difficult to resent the man for making him a screaming uke when all that powerful flesh was pressed up against him. It would take time to get used to it, but last night proved that he was indeed capable of switching roles and enjoying it—at least with Angeal.

"Mm, Gen?" Angeal stirred and lifted his head.

Genesis rolled his eyes. "Whom else would you be lying here naked with? Hollander?"

"Not funny," grunted Angeal. He kissed Genesis' temple and squeezed him. "Did you sleep okay?"

That was _another_ thing Genesis wasn't used to...morning-after intimacy. It wasn't unpleasant with Angeal, though. "I slept like the dead. I think a hot bath might be in order, before I start the day."

"I'm sorry if you're sore," apologized Angeal. He rubbed his arm. "I could—"

"Don't," sighed Genesis. He rolled over to face him and he looked into his sleepy blue eyes. "You did nothing wrong. In fact, you did everything a little _too right_. A cock like yours would make _anyone_ sore in the morning, no matter _how_ you use it, so quit apologizing."

Angeal lowered his eyes modestly. "If you say so. You should go and draw your bath. I'll get breakfast ready and check on Hollander."

"I concur." Genesis tugged the sheets aside and all but rolled out of bed, wincing at the soreness between his buttocks. He grabbed a pair of track pants out of the wardrobe and he tugged them on without his usual grace.

"Genesis?"

The redhead was absorbed in tying off the waist of his track pants. "Hmm?"

"What did you mean when you said I did everything 'too right'?"

Genesis kept his eyes downcast and his expression neutral. "Nothing. That was just nonsensical morning babble on my part."

He wasn't ready to admit to Angeal that he'd turned him from a hardcore seme into a willing uke in one night.

* * *

It was clear by the looks Hollander gave them at breakfast that he knew what happened between them last night. Angeal felt unreasonably embarrassed at first, but he got over it quickly with the inner reminder that he and Genesis did nothing wrong. It wasn't Hollander's place to judge their relationship, either.

"We'll leave in a couple of days," Angeal said after they finished eating and cleaning up. "Hollander, you know you'll be going straight into custody once we get things cleared up with ShinRa, don't you?"

Hollander looked at Genesis. "I'm aware of that. What about _him_?"

Genesis sighed. "I've already decided to cooperate, so long as they don't try to execute me." He looked at Angeal. "I have a renewed interest in life, these days."

Hollander obviously caught the subtle reference and he looked between the two young men with a disconcerted expression. He finally grunted and went back into the basement. Genesis watched him go and he tilted his head, leaning in close to Angeal.

"It doesn't look like 'Daddy' approves of us."

Angeal gave him a disturbed look that wasn't feigned in the least. "Please, don't call him that. Not even jokingly."

Genesis glanced at him sidelong. "You're uptight. What's the issue?"

Angeal sighed. "The 'issue' is there's a good chance they'll want to arrest and detain you, if not both of us."

"And you're worried they'll hold me indefinitely or try to execute me," guessed Genesis. "Believe me, Hewley, I'll only remain under their tender care for so long before I decide to take my leave. I'm willing to do this for the sake of exposing the corruption that led to us being here in the first place, but I'm not interested in being their scapegoat."

Angeal gazed into his eyes and nodded. Since they were alone in the kitchen, he kissed his companion on the mouth. "I'll hold you to that, Genesis."

* * *

-To be continued


	6. Chapter 6

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter Six: Jenova

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note:_**_ A detailed scene has been cut from this chapter. Read the full version at Adult Fanfiction net or Archive of our own. I don't think it's necessary to give a full recount of all the canon scenes that occur within this chapter. Instead, I'm detailing the parts that are significant to this AU's plot development and the parts that occur differently. _

* * *

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters. _**

* * *

Lazard called Sephiroth and Zack into his office, the day after Angeal returned to Mideel. There was a reported malfunction with the Mako reactor in Mt. Nibel and he didn't trust Scarlet's people or the Turks to give it a proper investigation.

"They've gotten too cheap," explained Lazard. "It isn't necessarily the Turks' fault, but they follow my father's orders and he's more concerned with saving money than ensuring community safety."

Zack grimaced. "He's going to lose a lot more money if the taxpayers die from Mako poisoning than he'll lose fixing up faulty equipment."

"Exactly," agreed Lazard with a nod. He pushed his glasses further up on his nose and looked up at Sephiroth. "Mt. Nibel can be a dangerous place—which is why I've chosen you and Fair to command security and investigate the reactor itself. I'll be sending Administrator Tuesti with you. He'll be taking readings in the town at the foot of the mountains and if he finds enough contamination levels to warrant an evacuation, you're to assist him with that."

Sephiroth nodded. "Understood. Is there an idea as to what might be the cause of the malfunction?"

Lazard checked his data screen with a frown and he entered something on his keyboard. "It seems pressure gauges are abnormal—which could indicate a broken valve. You'll need to escort Tuesti safely in so that he can locate and fix the problem."

"No problem," Zack said. "I'm ready to go whenever."

"Good," approved Lazard. "I want this taken care of before the other departments get involved. I'll deal with the inevitable fallout when the president finds out I've gone ahead with it."

Sephiroth gave the director a respectful nod. Despite catching him in the act of conspiring against ShinRa, he admired him for his sense of responsibility and principles. He had made a mistake and Sephiroth's instincts to give him another chance were thus far paying off. Thinking of this reminded him of a separate issue.

"Has there been any word yet on the deserters, recently?"

Beside him, Zack grimaced and Sephiroth shot him a warning look to remind him that as far as the company was concerned, deserters were exactly what Angeal and Genesis were.

"No trace of them for over a month," answered Lazard.

"My sources have run dry as well," Sephiroth mused with a frown. He began to wonder if the lack of contact from both Angeal and Genesis was a sign that they had succumbed to their deterioration and died.

"Hey, I'm sure someone will find them, sooner or later," Zack said optimistically—remembering to keep it in code, "or they'll come around and turn themselves in. Don't give up."

Sephiroth lowered his gaze and he wondered. The only thing either of them had been willing to tell him during the brief moments of contact he'd had with them since was that they were working on a cure. Whether that meant it was possible to rid them of the supernatural wings they had grown or not, he couldn't guess. The last time he'd seen Angeal was over a month ago, when he met up with him in secret to give him some medical supplies for the cure research. The big man's hair was streaked through with white and his skin lacked its normal pigment. Seeing Angeal that way, Sephiroth imagined Genesis was in even worse condition.

* * *

Zack swore as the covered transport vehicle hit a bump and his phone went skittering across the metal floor. Reeve picked it up and precariously braced himself to hand it back to him. The engineer could have sat up front with the driver, but he preferred to ride in the back with the two SOLDIER operatives and the MP's that accompanied them.

"Thanks," Zack said to the older man as he took his phone.

He grinned as Reeve stumbled and cussed, barely making it back to the bench without falling on his back. He liked Reeve Tuesti. He was in his thirties and he had brown eyes, wavy brown, collar-length hair and an easy-going sense of humor. The man was a mechanical genius from what Zack understood, and he had an air of class and refinement about him. He had demonstrated a sense of morals that a lot of suits in the company seemed to lack, so far.

Zack glanced at Sephiroth and he sobered a bit. The general sat on the bench in the far corner of the back of the transport, away from everyone else. His emerald gaze stayed on the floor in obvious contemplation and he absently tapped the hilt of his masamune against his boot. Not that Sephiroth was ever Mr. Cheerful, but he seemed even more moody and withdrawn since that night when Hollander attacked Headquarters with the Genesis copies. Zack wondered what else Sephiroth might have found in that data room, besides the evidence that Zack himself was also a recipient of Hojo's experiments.

Zack tried to put his concerns behind him and he returned his attention to his phone, and the text message he'd gotten from his cute little Turk girlfriend.

"_My place tonight? –Cis_"

Zack winced. Oh, if _only_ he could make that promise, but he had no idea how long he was going to be in Nibelheim. The flight from Midgar to North Corel took half a day, and the trip from there to Nibelheim ate up the rest of the day.

"_Have 2 take a rain check babe. Will not be home till 2morrow. –Zack_"

After a few minutes, she replied back. "_Okay I understand. Will think of you tonight. –Cis_"

Zack sighed and put the phone away. "Yeah, I'll think of you too, honey. Nothing sucks worse than having a girlfriend and _still_ being stuck with my hand as company, most of the time."

"Dude, TMI," grumbled the MP next to Zack.

The raven-haired Soldier winced; unaware he'd spoken his thoughts aloud again. One of these days, he was going to have to learn to curb that habit. "Sorry, man. Just missing spending time with my girlfriend, you know?"

The other guy nodded in understanding. "I feel you on that, bro."

Everyone's ears began to pop and it became obvious that the vehicle was on an incline. The twists and turns got worse, as did the bumps. Reeve pulled aside part of the tarp near him to look outside at their surroundings.

"We're heading into the Nibel area," he announced when he recognized the environment. "Ladies and Gentlemen, you may want to check your materia and weapons now. We'll be going to the reactor as soon as we reach the village and disembark. Try not to make a big fuss and disturb these folks."

* * *

"What are you looking at, Cloud?"

The blond teenager turned away from the window and regarded his sick mother. "It looks some military people have come into the village. Maybe they're from SOLDIER."

His mother cast a concerned look at the window, but she lacked the strength to get out of her wheelchair and go see for herself. "I know you've always wanted to join SOLDIER, but I need you here."

He lowered cornflower blue eyes and nodded, his golden bangs brushing against his face. "I know. Don't worry...I won't leave you."

* * *

While Cloud Strife reluctantly put aside his dream of joining SOLDIER for the sake of his mother, his friend Tifa Lockheart across the street was arguing with her father.

"But Papa, I know Mt. Nibel better than _anyone_! Those foreigners are sure to get lost without a decent guide."

"That's none of our concern," said her father sternly. "Those mountain trails are too slippery and dangerous this time of year, and the creature sightings have gotten worse."

"Listen to your Papa, Tifa," advised the young woman's mother. "Those strangers are armed military people. They can handle themselves."

"But—"

"Our decision is final." Mr. Lockheart crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at his daughter warningly. "Abide by it, Tifa. It's for your own good."

She compressed her lips, glared at both of them and ran to her room in a teenaged fit of angst.

* * *

Stiff from the long journey, they had some trouble climbing the paths of the mountains, at first. Zack solicitously helped an embarrassed Reeve make it up a steep incline when he couldn't make two steps without sliding. Sephiroth narrowly saved a grunt from falling over the edge to her death when a piece of the path broke away under her feet. They encountered a couple of hostile creatures on the way up, but with Sephiroth and Zack in the group, they were easily dispatched.

When they made it to the reactor, Sephiroth ordered the four MP's accompanying them to stand by outside while he, Zack and Reeve went in to investigate. They followed the schematic Reeve brought with him and they eventually found themselves in a room lined with a dozen odd-looking pods. Reeve stopped and looked around with a troubled frown. Zack stopped with him and peered over his shoulder at the schematic.

"Did we take a wrong turn or something? What are all these things?"

"I'm not sure," Reeve answered uncertainly. He spotted some steam escaping from a valve in the left corner of the chamber and he gestured at it. "Ah, here we are. This is the right place after all." He put away the schematic and approached the valve with his tool kit.

Sephiroth was standing before one of the pods on the first level, staring at the little round porthole in the top of it. Curious, Zack approached him and squinted at the pod. There was an eerie glow coming from inside that reminded him of Mako. He thought he saw the shadow of something inside, too. Zack impulsively approached the pod Sephiroth was staring at and he started to reach out for it.

"Zack! Don't _touch_ anything!"

Reeve's sudden, urgent warning startled poor Zack so bad that he nearly leaped into Sephiroth's arms. "Day-um, Administrator! Way to scare the piss out of me!"

"Be quiet, both of you." Sephiroth's voice seemed uncommonly strained as he issued the low command.

Reeve obligingly shut his mouth and returned his attention to repairing the broken valve. Zack looked at Sephiroth, alerted by the tension in his voice.

"What's up, Seph?"

The general's serpentine gaze remained on the pod. The light from within it reflected off his eyes. Instead of answering, he approached the contraption and he grasped the edge of the porthole to lift himself up and look in. He peered inside for a moment before dropping back to the floor and taking several steps back. He looked at Zack and nodded at the pod.

"Have a look for yourself."

Biting back reservations that he couldn't explain, Zack did as advised and he mimicked Sephiroth's earlier actions to see into the pod. He abruptly lost his hold on the edge and fell to the floor with shock when he saw the humanoid monstrosity inside. Eyes wide, he back-pedaled over the floor like a crab and scrambled to his feet. He looked at the other pods and he wondered if all of them contained the same creatures.

"What the hell _is_ that?"

Reeve finished repairing the valve, but rather than pat himself on the back he checked out one of the pods as well. Sephiroth's gaze swept the room and settled on the containment device in front of him again.

"They were human, once."

Reeve and Zack both looked at him doubtfully, and the engineer spoke up. "What makes you so sure, General? Just because they're biped doesn't necessarily mean these were human beings."

"Then what are they?" Sephiroth challenged, raising a brow.

Reeve cast another look at a pod and shrugged. "Given the sort of experiments the research department has been known to conduct since Hojo took over, I'd guess these are human-monster hybrids. It's possible they spliced human DNA with that of some creature found in the wild. Similar experiments have been done before."

Sephiroth stepped closer to the pod again. "Your supposition is possible. Either way, these creatures have been exposed to unusual amounts of Mako. They're literally floating in it. It's a known fact that over-exposure causes poisoning in humans at best, and mutations at worse. The SOLDIER procedure works by administrating controlled amounts over time, to make the recipient stronger, faster and more resilient. What if someone decided that wasn't enough? What if these are a failed attempt to create even stronger Soldiers?"

Reeve looked at the pod nearest to him uncomfortably. "I think it's best to avoid speculating and get back to the village, General. They obviously had this chamber sealed up for a reason and prolonged exposure to these...things...could be hazardous. We'd best not stay in here for too long."

"You know your way out," invited Sephiroth. His eyes followed the modular stairs between each of the four levels of the chamber, and they settled on a door at the top. He frowned. "I'm going to investigate further. Zack and the MP's can escort you safely back to the village."

"Uh, I think I'll hang back," Zack said.

He eyed Sephiroth with concern, not liking the strange tension in the man's stance. Something was definitely off-key with him and Seph himself often warned him that ninety percent of accidents occurred because a Soldier got distracted and didn't pay attention. Right now, the general was definitely distracted and Zack wanted to know why.

"General, I must remind you that even though I've repaired the valve, there has been a leak of fumes in here for some time," Reeve cautioned. "I hope you don't intend to risk exposure for much longer. In fact, we probably should have been wearing hazmat gear for this—"

"Don't concern yourself," Sephiroth interrupted coldly. "I've been exposed to Mako chemicals many times before, and so has Zackary. We can endure it for a while longer. Now go and do your work in the village, Administrator Tuesti."

Reeve sighed and looked at Zack. His dark eyes silently cautioned him and the young Soldier nodded in understanding. "Don't worry about us," he reassured the older man. "I'll make sure we don't spend more time in here than we need to, okay?"

Reeve gave Sephiroth another look and his expression said he doubted Zack could make Sephiroth leave before he was damned good and ready. "All right, then. I'll be taking some samples and scanning for contamination in town. Be careful."

* * *

"What do you think is up there?" Zack came up behind Sephiroth and looked up at the arching door at the top of the stairs. At once, he saw the lettering over the door and his eyebrows went up.

"J-E-N-O-V-A." Zack looked at his superior with wide eyes. "Hey, remember that thing I told you about with the Jenova injections? Do you think it could be related to what's behind that door? Oh, and wasn't Jenova your mother's name?"

"Be quiet, Fair." Sephiroth had broken into a sweat and his face was like carved marble. He looked at one of the pods again and he began to mutter under his breath. "Was..._I_...created this way?"

Feeling a chill go up his spine, Zack tried to reassure Sephiroth. "Hey, don't let it get to you, man. I'm sure the name on that door is just a coincidence. There's probably a totally logical explanation for all this."

Sephiroth stopped and reached out to trace the edges of the clear portal on the pod before him. "And the logical explanation, Zackary, is that these creatures were genetically enhanced through methods similar to what was done to me...and to you. I don't know why your body rejected the treatment, but we were both meddled with in ways normal Soldiers aren't. So were these."

"So you really think these guys used to be human?" Zack questioned with a grimace. He wanted to deny it, but given Hojo's obsession with science and the things he'd learned about the old fart so far, it didn't seem so far-fetched.

Sephiroth apparently wasn't listening to him any longer. "I always knew I was different...special, somehow...but not like this." Sephiroth placed his palms flat against the surface of the pod and bowed his head, his long silver bangs falling forward to veil his face.

Zack approached him and did as his instincts always told him to do, when another human being was in pain. He laid a hand over one of Sephiroth's tense shoulders and tried to comfort him. "Don't think like that. You're just as human as—"

Sephiroth shoved him away and raised his masamune. Zack instinctively reached for his sword, but instead of advancing on him, Sephiroth hacked open the pod. The creature inside fell out with a gush of Mako-colored liquid, its scaly, warped body writhing on the floor as if in pain. Steam arose from its skin, as if it reacted negatively with the atmosphere. The creature lifted its head and cried out in a manner that was very human, before it went still and lay there in the puddle of fluid, unmoving.

"Seph..." Zack covered his mouth with a hand as the stench hit him and nearly made him puke.

Sephiroth seemed impervious to the fumes. He squatted over the expired creature and he lifted one of its eyelids with a gloved hand. He looked over at Zackary with wild, dilated green eyes. "Look. You see it, don't you?"

"See _what_?" gagged Zack, blinking against the sting of fumes. Despite the warning in his heart, he moved closer and peered down at the body to see what the other man was talking about. He went still when he saw that creature's dead, staring eyes had slit pupils, like Sephiroth. They were yellow rather than green, but otherwise the similarity was uncanny.

"Was I created this way too?" Sephiroth asked aloud, getting to his feet. He walked to the stairs and climbed them to the door at the top. He turned around to gaze down at Zack and only a thin band of green showed around his widened pupils.

"You _saw_ it!" He gestured wildly behind him at the door. "And this door is labeled with my mother's name!"

Zack glanced at the body of the creature, then back up at Sephiroth. "It's just a woman's name, Sephiroth! Look, come back down and we'll get out of here. Maybe we can make some calls and find out what's behind that door. Just don't jump to any conclusions until you know for sure, all right?"

Sephiroth turned to look at the door behind him and Zack feared for a moment that he would break through it. Reinforced steel or not, Sephiroth's masamune could probably make short work of it. The general hesitated for a moment before turning to face forward again, as if afraid of what he might find behind that door if he were to open it. He shut his eyes and moved his lips in a way that had Zack thinking he was speaking to himself silently.

"You're right," Sephiroth finally said—and again, Zack wasn't sure if the man was addressing him. "I need more answers. The mansion at the edge of the village...it served as a base of operations for ShinRa, years ago. I read about it. Gast wrote about it. I need to go there...need to investigate."

Zack had no idea who Gast was or what Sephiroth was even talking about, but he was relieved to see some semblance of calm returning to the man. He'd _never_ witnessed the general in anything remotely resembling an anxious state of mind, before. It shook him more than a little, to see a man so in control suddenly start to unravel like that, before his very eyes. Zack breathed easier as Sephiroth descended the stairs and joined him.

"Now you're thinking with a clear head," Zack announced in a falsely light tone. He coughed and grimaced at the body on the floor. "I think we should have that cleaned up, too."

"Of course." Sephiroth began to walk, barely sparing a glance at the creature in passing.

"Sephiroth?"

The general stopped and turned to look at Zack. "What is it?"

Zack swallowed, un-nerved by the way Sephiroth's pupils remained dilated. "Whatever this is...whatever it's about...just remember, you've got friends. Angeal and Genesis aren't around right now but I'm sure they're still alive and they'd agree with me. You're not alone, Seph."

Sephiroth smirked without humor. "Indeed." He turned around and continued walking out the door. "I'm _never_ alone, Zackary."

* * *

_Meanwhile, in Mideel:_

Angeal returned his companion's kisses with feeling, his sated passion rising quickly in response to the skilled motions of Genesis' lips, tongue and mouth. The only thing that stopped him from trying to initiate a repeat performance was his sense of responsibility. Remembering that they had travel plans to prepare for, Angeal reluctantly stopped fondling his companion's bottom and broke the kiss.

"We'd better stop while we can and get cleaned up," he sighed when Genesis gave him an offended look. "We still need to contact Sephiroth and let him know to expect us."

Genesis groaned softly and for a moment, Angeal thought he might refuse to cooperate. He obligingly freed Angeal's other wrist from its restraint and he gave him one last, lingering kiss before easing off of him with a wince and removing both their condoms.

"You try and contact our silver swordsman," sighed Genesis. "I'll flush these and have a quick shower."

Angeal admired the sight of the redhead's bare backside as he walked away toward the bedroom door. The slight pressure around his throat reminded him of something. "Genesis."

Genesis turned halfway to look at him.

Angeal picked up the trailing end of the leash and tugged at the collar around his throat. "Is it safe to assume I can take this off, now?"

Genesis gave the collar a lazy glance. "Oh, all right. I spoil you, Hewley."

A rare, soft chuckle rumbled in Angeal's throat.

* * *

_Back in Nibelheim:_

Sephiroth locked himself in his Inn room as soon as they returned to town. Zack still didn't understand what was going through his head, but he supposed being confined to his room was a lot better than Sephiroth breaking into a restricted chamber in a Mako reactor containing Gaia knew what inside. He tried to make the most of the situation and he looked around town a little, mindful of the order not to be too conspicuous. He was thoroughly exhausted, but the strangeness of Seph's behavior had him on edge and restless. Reeve was still going around with some kind of scanning device and when Zack asked him what the verdict was, he shook his head and told him he wouldn't have conclusive results until tomorrow.

"You should try and get some sleep, kid," advised Reeve. "I think we were all a little shaken up by what we saw in that chamber, but if I have my way, we'll get some answers when we return to Midgar."

Zack looked back toward the cottage-style hotel, his blue-violet gaze troubled. All of the buildings in Nibelheim had the same comfortable, quaint storybook appearance to them. "I just hope the general snaps out of his deal. I don't know what that chamber was all about, but it really seemed to get to him."

Reeve glanced at the Inn as well before returning his attention to the device in his hand. "Don't get yourself worked up thinking about it, Zack. Sephiroth is a complicated young man, and I for one am happy to leave him to his thoughts for a while."

Zack sighed and nodded in compliance. He knew Reeve was right and honestly, bugging Sephiroth to open the door and talk to him wasn't the brightest idea. He again wished Angeal was there to work things out with his calm, level reasoning. "All right. I guess I'm going to head to my room and try to get some shuteye."

Reeve patted him absently on the shoulder, his eyes still fixated on the device he held. "Good. I'll be retiring shortly, myself."

* * *

Zack paused outside Sephiroth's room and he argued with himself. He knew he should just leave it alone for now like Reeve suggested, but his great respect for Sephiroth was tempered by a certain fondness. In a way, Sephiroth replaced Angeal as his mentor in the big man's absence and Zack had come to think of him as a surrogate older brother—just like Angeal. He hated the thought of him suffering.

Zack pulled out his cell phone, flicked it open and stared at it blankly. If things were different, he would have called Angeal and asked for his advice. He had no contact number for him now, though. He refused to believe he might be dead. So _what_ if nobody had contact with him for over a month? Angeal wasn't the kind of man to lie down and just die. Zack didn't know Genesis that well but he guessed he wasn't that kind of guy, either. After all, he was part of the "trio" with Sephiroth and Angeal.

Zack sighed and shut his phone, holding onto it helplessly. Angeal wasn't there to fix this. He had to stop lamenting that fact and see what he could do for Sephiroth, himself. Hesitantly, Zack put his ear to Sephiroth's door to listen for any signs of activity within the room. His enhanced senses were sharp, and he could detect noise that a normal human being often missed. After a moment, he frowned and he pressed his ear harder to the door.

Sephiroth was talking to someone.

Zack listened even harder, but there was no secondary voice. It sounded like the general was carrying on a conversation with himself. Zack couldn't make out everything Seph was saying, because he was speaking in a low voice. He heard mention of a "promised land" and the Ancients, but the rest trailed off into nonsensical muttering.

Zack pulled his ear away from the door and frowned at it. "Okay...so he's talking to himself. Big deal. _I_ do that sometimes, too. Hell, I'm doing it right now. There's no reason to freak—"

His cell phone blasted a heavy metal riff at that moment.

"—OUT!"

Zack tossed the device into the air in his surprise and he juggled it frantically to keep it from hitting the floor. Heart pounding, he hurried down the hall to his room with it so as not to disturb Sephiroth. He flipped it open and frowned again when he saw an unregistered number appear on the screen. Casting a quick look around, he went into his room and locked the door.

"This is Zack."

"Zack. It's me."

The sound of that deep, reassuring, very-much-missed voice almost did the young man in and for a minute, he thought he might sob like a baby. "Ange? Is that you?"

"I just said it was, didn't I?"

Zack had been in the process of sitting down on his bed but now he stood up and spun around in a circle in his excitement. "Ang_eeeal_! Aww man, you have _no idea_ how glad I am to hear from you!"

The other man's voice was laced with quiet humor. "I can tell. It's good to hear your voice too, Zack. A lot has happened and I'm going to need your cooperation, okay? Where are you now? Are you able to talk without anyone listening in?"

Zack looked around at the cozy Inn room and nodded. "Yeah. I'm in Nibelheim, actually. Sephiroth and Reeve are here too. We came to check out the Mako reactor in the mountains and things have been really weird since then."

"Are you all right?" Even though he evidently had something important to discuss, the older man's protective attitude took priority.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Zack assured him. "It's Sephiroth."

"What about him?" Angeal's voice sounded wary.

Zack scratched the back of his head and tried to think of how to explain. "Uh, we found this secured chamber in the reactor when we brought Reeve in there to check out the plumbing. It was really creepy, Angeal. There were all these pod things lining the walls with some kind of Mako-drenched monsters in them. Sephiroth said they used to be human and he started freaking out. There was this door at the top of the stairs with the words 'Jenova' tacked over it and when he saw that, it was like...like he was a whole different person."

"Did you say 'Jenova', Zack?"

"Yeah," agreed Zack. "That's what the sign over the door said, and Seph told me that was his mother's name, too. Angeal, man...I've never seen him like this. He's got himself locked up in his Inn room and I think I heard him talking to himself in there a minute ago. We could be here for days and I don't like the thought of him going for another stroll to that reactor."

Angeal took a deep, slow breath and he said something to someone else on his end of the line before speaking to Zack again. "Zack, listen to me. I'm coming to Nibelheim with Genesis. Keep a close eye on Sephiroth for us, and watch yourself."

Zack plopped down on the bed with relief, feeling suddenly exhausted. "Thanks, Angeal. Are you guys okay, though?"

"We're fine," assured the big man. "Hollander cured our condition and we'll be dropping him off into custody on our way there to meet you. Don't tell anyone we're coming, Zack. I don't want to have to fight my way through ShinRa authorities and we have some important information for Sephiroth. What he's found there so far is only a small part of it and he needs to know _all_ the facts."

Zack sat up with a frown. "Angeal...what the hell's going on? Who is Jenova?"

"It's too complicated to explain over the phone. I tried to contact Sephiroth, but he wouldn't pick up. Just try to keep him occupied until we get there, Zack."

Zack swallowed. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

* * *

-To be continued


	7. Chapter 7

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter Seven: Monsters

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters. _**

* * *

Zack felt like the underside of his eyelids were made of sandpaper, when he awoke early the next morning. He'd suffered a night of restless sleep, full of nightmares. The alarm on his phone had been going off for a good five minutes by the time he roused from his uneasy slumber. He grimaced and rolled onto his side, reaching for the phone clumsily. He nearly knocked it off the bedside table and he squinted blearily at his wristwatch.

"Shit. I'd better get out and start doing rounds."

His position wasn't nearly as important as Reeve's or Sephiroth's, but he was acting as an officer of SOLDIER on this mission and his behavior reflected on that department. He rolled out of bed clumsily and stumbled to the washbowl. They had bathrooms in this building, but they were separate from the bedrooms and Zack frankly didn't have time to indulge in a real bath. He did the best he could with the washcloth and bowl and he changed back into his uniform. He did a round of squats as his morning exercise before leaving the room.

"Hey," Zack called out to the female MP he found in the hallway, "has the General been out yet this morning?"

She gave him a shy little smile. "Actually, yes. He left the Inn about an hour ago. He told us he was going to investigate that old condemned mansion at the edge of town and he said not to disturb him."

Zack's brows drew down severely and he looked out the shuttered window nearby. The town below seemed peaceful. People were moving around on the streets, going about their daily business. Zack envied them.

"Okay, I'm going to go and see if he needs any help with his investigation. You and the others just keep an eye on things and help Reeve if he needs it, okay?" He winked at her without a second thought and she blushed and saluted him.

Zack opted to skip breakfast, even when Reeve saw him passing through the lobby and invited him to join him. He left the Inn and made his way across town to path leading up to the huge, abandoned mansion. He paused for a moment to size it up with his eyes, and a chill went down his spine. Zack wasn't a superstitious person, but the eerie atmosphere of the place was nothing to be denied. It was a sad, old ghost of a structure and everything about it appeared to be in mourning.

Zack checked his sword and his materia bangle uneasily before walking up the path. He felt like something could reach up out of the ground to grasp at his ankles at any moment and he suppressed a shiver. The place could have made a great haunted house attraction and he wondered if the townsfolk ever did anything like that for tourists. The oaken double doors at the entryway were partway open, suggesting someone did pass through them recently. Zack pushed the right one open further as he walked through and he gritted his teeth as it squeaked on its hinges. He stepped into the foyer and looked up at a gigantic, crystal chandelier hanging overhead. It was covered in cobwebs and the morning light coming in through cracks in the boarded windows glittered dully off the crystals.

Zack felt a sneeze coming on as his steps stirred dust from the moldy old carpet lining the entryway. He pinched his nose and waited for the urge to lessen before moving on. The fall of his boots echoed eerily off the cold, silent walls and the high, domed ceiling; no matter how quietly he tried to move. How anyone could have _lived_ in such a huge building was beyond him. He could see it as a museum, or a place for rich people to throw balls—but he couldn't imagine anyone calling such a place "home".

"Sephiroth?"

Zack winced at the sound of his own voice, bouncing off the walls to echo back at him. His call was uncertain and restrained, but it sounded much louder due to the acoustics of his surroundings. There was no answer, but Zack didn't let that deter him. He remembered Sephiroth mentioning that the mansion once served as an away base for ShinRa personnel, and something about a guy named Gast. Obviously, the general thought he might find some answers in this mansion and Zack was determined to locate him and discover what this was all about.

* * *

After searching the mansion from bottom to top and back down again, Zack was about to give up and try calling Sephiroth's phone for the fifth time. He stopped in one of the upstairs bedrooms and he leaned against the cool stone wall as he pulled out his phone.

Hunger and frustration was trying his patience and making him unusually cranky. "Come on, dammit. Pick up, this time. I'm getting hungry!"

Zack lifted the phone to his ear and scowled as he listened to it ring out. Sephiroth's voice mail picked up and he strangled the urge to leave the general a nasty message that would probably earn him a demotion in rank. With a heavy sigh, he ended the call and put his phone away. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned harder against the wall, trying to decide what to do. Angeal had called from an unknown number, so he couldn't try to call him. Maybe this was his final test, to earn his status as an officer of SOLDIER. Sure, he'd made it to First Class, but he still had no more authority than most Seconds. It was time for Zack to stop relying on his superiors and mentors telling him what to do.

He thought he felt something shift behind him and he frowned. "Must be a loose brick or some—"

His sentence ended in a startled cry as the wall behind him abruptly gave way and slid to the right, withdrawing its support of his weight. Zack fell backwards...and he kept falling. He quickly tucked his arms and legs in as he tried to stop his tumbling and he realized he was falling down a set of stairs. His awkward journey came to a halt as the stairs took a turn and Zack lay there groaning softly, waiting for the world to stop spinning. He climbed to his feet and braced his hand against the wall as he squinted in the darkness. His enhanced vision allowed him to see better than average and he was able to ascertain that the stairs continued winding down for quite a depth.

"You're kidding me," huffed Zack, shaking his head.

It was almost a sure thing that Seph was down there somewhere, if he was still in this mansion at all. Given the hidden nature of the cellar entry, Zack could imagine all sorts of mysterious or gruesome things he might find, if he investigated down there. Sephiroth had hinted that they might have put research crap somewhere in this mansion and a hidden cellar seemed like the perfect place for it.

"I am _sooo_ going to regret this," predicted the young Soldier. He considered drawing his sword, but the stairs were kind of creaky and the last thing he needed to do was risk losing his footing and impale himself by accident. Sticking close to the wall, he followed the old wooden stairs down, deep into the ground beneath the ShinRa mansion.

* * *

Sephiroth sat at the old splintered desk, pouring over the fifth book he'd liberated from the shelves of the secret library. He'd barely begun and he had a lot more to search through, before he was finished. He was scanning through the material, searching for any references to himself, Jenova, Hojo, Gast or the "S-gene". So far, he'd found some notes from Gast but they were unhelpful. His head ached with frustration and the voice of his mother was becoming very distracting. She had gone dormant again—until his discovery in the reactor. Now she was urging him to come and find her...to take her to the Promised Land and claim the planet together.

Sephiroth shut his eyes and massaged his temples with gloved fingers. He'd found information about the Cetra, and how they sacrificed themselves to stop some nameless disaster, while the humans fled and left them to their fate. Jenova's voice whispered to him all the while, insisting that he had the blood of the Ancients in his veins and this world belonged to him, more than any of the pathetic humans.

"Mother...I know you're close. I need you to be quiet...need to find out what happened to us. I'll come for you when I have some answers."

"Sephiroth?"

The general looked up at the sound of his name being spoken and for a moment, he honestly didn't recognize the voice or the young man it belonged to. He frowned, shaking himself out of his detached daze. Zack's blue-violet gaze was full of concern and he stood in the threshold of the arching entryway uncertainly.

"Leave me be," Sephiroth instructed, fighting off his mother's insidious suggestions. "I have a lot to do here, Zackary. I don't want to be disturbed."

"But...okay, I can see you have a lot on your mind, but what are you looking for? Maybe if you'd tell me, I could help."

Sephiroth ignored his mother's suggestion that he teach the meddlesome boy a lesson. He got out of his chair and approached Zack, feeling the urge to show a bit of kindness, while it was still in him to do so. He laid his hands on the brunet's shoulders and offered him a quiet little smile—the sort he'd only ever given to Angeal and Genesis, before.

"I understand you want to help," Sephiroth murmured, "but you can't. Not with this. I'll remember that you tried, Zackary."

Zack stood blinking at him as Sephiroth returned to the desk and sat down to continue reading. When seconds ticked by without a whisper of sound, Sephiroth looked back up to see the younger Soldier still standing there, blinking. Sephiroth sighed.

"Zack."

"Uh...yeah?"

Sephiroth felt his mouth twitch. "You're dismissed."

Zack saluted and practically ran out of the research room, leaving Sephiroth staring after him with a smirk on his lips. The general's amusement faded rapidly as he got stuck back into his investigations, and the sense of detachment returned. He knew that some part of him was going away and in his typically logical way of thinking, he realized he was distancing himself on purpose.

* * *

Zack didn't completely leave the mansion as he was told to. He stood in the cavernous corridor leading to the secret lab, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do now. He saw a worn wooden door in the wall across from him and he noticed that the lock had fallen right off in its advanced state of deterioration. Walking over to it, he bent over and picked up the padlock off the floor. He tried to replace the padlock on the door. It wouldn't snap shut and he finally tossed it on the floor with a sigh. Curious as to what might be behind the door, he turned the heavy iron knob and pushed it open. He winced at the way it creaked on its rusty hinges and he took out his cellphone to use it as a flashlight.

"Hmm, some kind of storage room," guessed Zack aloud as he held the phone up and had a look around by its glow.

He saw a light switch on the wall near the door and he flipped it, not really expecting much. The pendulum light overhead flickered on with a crackle of electricity and it cast the room in a dull, yellow light. Zack found evidence to back his supposition, in the form of a few sacks of long-spoiled grain and a couple of barrels of some unknown liquid.

There were also some coffins lining the walls.

Zack blinked. "Oo...kay. That's a weird thing to store."

He counted three of them in all. The two on the left and right were open and empty, but the one in the center was sealed. Casting a wary look around, Zack approached the middle one and considered it. Did he _really_ want to have a look inside, after everything he'd already experienced since arriving in Nibelheim?

He looked at the closed coffin again curiously, and then looked at the half-opened door he'd come through. Death didn't scare him and the sight of blood and gore didn't trouble him. Maybe he could have a quick peek, just to see if there was actually a body inside. Thinking of Sephiroth's expressed desire to find that guy named Gast, Zack wondered if the answer could be in this coffin. Maybe he'd find the remains of someone they experimented on, down here. He shivered at the thought, but now his curiosity was fully piqued and it _did_ give him something else to focus.

"Okay...just one quick peek," he muttered to himself. "There's probably nothing in there, anyway."

Somehow, he doubted that, but he found the thought comforting and he put aside his reservations. He tried to open the lid—gingerly at first—and it didn't budge. Zack put a little more effort into it, but it was still stuck tight and he guessed it was locked from the inside, or maybe the hinges and catches were fused together with age. It came as an odd relief for him to realize he wasn't going to get the coffin open without using substantial force. If there _was_ a body in there, Zack wasn't about to desecrate its resting place by hacking it up.

"Guess I'm just not meant to see it," he said.

He gave up and he sat down on the coffin, breathing a heavy sigh as he considered what measures he should take to watch the general. He couldn't very well put him under guard; he didn't have the authority to do that and Seph hadn't actually _done_ anything to warrant relieving him of command, yet. Angeal had cautioned him against mentioning to anyone that he and Genesis were on their way, and he supposed drawing more attention to Sephiroth's odd behavior would only make things worse. All he really needed to do what try to prevent Sephiroth from doing anything crazy, until Angeal arrived to show him whatever it was he wanted to show him.

"But how do I _do_ that, without making it too obvious? Seph is going to notice people checking in on him."

Then again, Sephiroth wasn't in his right mind. It was entirely possible that his observation skills were compromised, in his current condition. Either way, Zack knew he couldn't leave the man unwatched. He began to kick the heels of his feet against the side of the coffin unwittingly, as he mulled the problem over in his mind. He heard footsteps lightly approaching outside and he went still, cocking his head to the side. The footsteps stopped outside the door and Zack impulsively reached for his sword, ready to defend himself.

Reeve Tuesti poked his head in through the door. He looked as surprised to see Zack as the Soldier was to see him. "Oh, there you are. I saw the light coming out of the room and I thought...well, never mind. What are you doing in here, Zack?"

"I...was going to ask you the same question," Zack said, suddenly suspicious. He'd stumbled upon the cellar entrance by accident, but he got the feeling Reeve already knew it was there. In no mood to play word games, he got straight to the point. "So how'd you find your way down here?"

"I've been here before."

Just like that. No excuses, no changing the subject, no avoiding the question. Zack was again reminded of why he liked this particular suit. Reeve's honesty was refreshing and he relaxed a little. "You have? When?"

"Oh, my last visit was about a year ago, give or take a couple of months," answered Reeve. His eyes flicked to the coffin Zack sat upon before focusing on the lamp overhead. "My first visit to this town was five years ago, before the mansion was abandoned. I try to come every year, to test for Mako contamination. The company does inspections each year, but I don't quite trust the teams they send to be thorough enough. Sometimes if you want a thing done right, you need to do it yourself."

Zack resumed his impulsive drumming of his heels against the coffin. "Yeah, I get that. I need to keep an eye on the general, but I don't trust the grunts to do it."

Reeve glanced at the door behind him. "Then I take it Sephiroth _is_ in the old laboratory down here?"

Zack nodded.

"That's what I thought. Is he still acting...peculiar?"

"Oh yeah, I'm afraid he's losing it," Zack blurted before he could stop himself.

"Don't you think you should inform the director?" suggested Reeve cautiously. "Far be it from me to stick my nose in SOLDIER affairs, but if you're worried, _I'm_ worried."

"I'm playing it by ear," Zack said cautiously. "I don't want to jump the gun, you know? He's just going through some books in there, researching stuff."

"What kind of 'stuff'?" Reeve looked both intrigued and worried.

"I think he wants to find out more about his mother," Zack admitted. "And some guy named Gast. Any idea who that might be?"

Reeve's dark brows furrowed over his eyes. "Professor Gast? He was once an associate of Hojo's. They worked with Hollander together. Gast went missing years ago and he's been pronounced dead for some time. The general isn't likely to find any useful information about him in there, and he's even less likely to find any details concerning his mother."

"You think so? How can you be sure?"

Reeve sighed and combed his fingers through his dark hair. "Because I know Professor Hojo had that library cleaned out. The man likes to keep his secrets, and anything he left behind is either useless or teasing little hints of what he may have conducted down here. Hojo likes to play games like that...to frustrate anyone attempting to have a peek at his unmentionables, understand?"

Zack grimaced. "As far as I'm concerned, everything about that guy is 'unmentionable'...but I see what you're saying. You sound like someone who speaks from experience, Reeve. Have you tried to do some digging yourself?"

"I may know some people who feel Professor Hojo's work is unethical," admitted the administrator, "and efforts have been made to prove it. I'm afraid that's all I can share with you about that, for now. Maybe some day, I can tell you more." His eyes flicked to the coffin again. "Zack, you may want to stop kicking that."

Zack glanced down at the coffin. "Oh, sorry. So, any idea who's in here?" He knocked on the top of the coffin.

Before Reeve could respond to the question, the coffin knocked back. Zack froze, his eyes dropping to the object again. "H-hey...did you just hear—"

The lid suddenly popped up a bit, just enough to make Zack lose his balance. "Whoa! Holy...Reeve...something _alive_ is in this thing!" He did his best to hold it shut with his weight, intending to give Reeve a chance to scat before it made an appearance.

"I wouldn't exactly put it that way," Reeve muttered, holding his hands out. "Just calm down, Zack. Get off the coffin and—"

The lid was shoved open completely by something inside, defeating Zack's effort to hold it down. He was launched a couple of feet into the air by the force of it and he sprawled on his back on the dirt floor. He vaguely noticed that Reeve wasn't reaching for a weapon of any kind, nor did he look like he was preparing to run. Zack grunted and drew his sword, opening his mouth to yell at the executive to get out for his own safety.

When he saw a man as pale as marble rise from the coffin, Zack's warning lodged in his throat. The guy was remarkably preserved for a corpse, with no sign of flesh decay. Ruby eyes glowed in a face almost as beautifully sculpted as Sephiroth's. Hair as black as midnight tumbled around the man's red cape-clad shoulders, held partially back from his face with a red bandanna.

Zack was no coward and he wasn't superstitious, but the sight of a corpse rising from the coffin he'd just been sitting on was the last straw for him. He was only human and everything he'd been dealing with closed in on him at once. His vision went black around the edges and he heard a ringing sound in his ears, before he passed out.

* * *

"Thank you very much, Vincent. You scared the kid unconscious."

The pale gunman climbed out of his coffin and looked down at the unconscious young man that Reeve was trying to revive. "He woke me up...and I thought it was you. You're the only person who ever comes in here, knocking on my coffin."

The resonant voice predictably made Reeve's spine tingle and he kept fanning Zack's face with his hand as he looked up at his unusual friend. "How was _he_ supposed to know he'd be waking anyone up?" He sighed and looked down at Zack. "I'm not looking forward to explaining this to him."

"Then don't. Tell him he struck his head on something and imagined it."

Reeve chuckled helplessly. "I think at this point, telling him he's seeing things would only make things worse." He studied the lean form of the gunman appraisingly. "You look good. You haven't changed a bit."

"Your hair is longer," observed Vincent. His crimson gaze went to the young man on the floor. "Who is he? He wears SOLDIER tags."

"Corporal Zack Fair," answered Reeve. "He's here with Sephiroth as my escort."

Vincent's gaze sharpened. "Sephiroth?"

"Yes. I've mentioned him to you before during previous visits, haven't I? He's the general of SOLDIER, now."

"But he's never come here before," mused Vincent softly, his eyes losing focus as if he was seeing something in his mind's eye from the past. "Not since he was taken away. Lucrecia's child."

Reeve felt a different kind of tingle as he listened to Vincent's strange words. "What are you talking about: 'Lucrecia's child'? His mother's name was Jenova."

Vincent's red gaze focused on him and his mouth curved in a distasteful way. "Jenova. Is that what Hojo's been telling him?"

"Is that false?" Reeve pressed. "You never indicated that you knew anything about Sephiroth before. What haven't you told me, Vincent?"

The gunman sighed, the sound almost lost in the high collar of his cape. "Jenova was the project, but Sephiroth was born to a beautiful woman named Lucrecia Crescent. She worked with my father, Grimoire Valentine. She later got involved with Hojo and when they discovered she was expecting, he convinced her to allow him to experiment on her and the unborn child. He was already involved in the Jenova project with two other scientists, but the results didn't satisfy him. He chose his own son to be his next subject."

Reeve stared at the other man. "Why didn't you ever tell me any of this before?"

Vincent shrugged. "I had no reason to and I didn't want to get involved. I failed to protect Lucrecia and she died. Her son was taken away from her. This is my penance." He motioned at the coffin he'd climbed out of.

Reeve eyed the coffin, and he remembered some of the things Vincent had told him during visits in the past. He'd always been very evasive and mysterious about the circumstances surrounding his self-imposed exile to the basement, but he did say a scientist experimented on him. He also told him he'd failed to save the woman he'd loved, and sleep was the only relief he had from the guilt.

"You were in love with Sephiroth's mother," guessed Reeve. It made more sense to him, now that Vincent had rattled off a few more details he'd previously left clouded.

Vincent looked away. "Lucrecia was never mine to love. She gave her heart to Hojo and he took advantage of that fact. That's all I have to say on the matter."

"But—"

"Take your young friend and go, Reeve. I'm going to return to sleep and I don't want to be disturbed again." Vincent turned around to face his coffin.

"Lucrecia's son may be in trouble," Reeve persisted, hoping to coax the gunman out of his shell. "I'm sure you'd like to help him, if that's the case."

Vincent paused on his way back to his coffin and he half-turned. "From what you've told me of Sephiroth, he can endure. Now please, leave me in peace."

Reeve sighed as Vincent climbed back into the coffin. "As you wish, friend. I can't force you to rejoin the world of the living."

"No, you can't," agreed Vincent. He lay down in the coffin and he paused as he was closing the lid up. "It was good to see you, Reeve."

The coffin shut and Reeve sighed. "Until next year, Valentine." He looked down at Zack and he lightly smacked his cheeks. "Come on, kid. Snap out of it. I can't drag you down the corridor; much less up those stairs."

Zack groaned after a few moments of effort and he came awake with a hoarse cry. "Reeve! The...the body! Get back!" He made a motion as if to swing his sword and Reeve was thankful that the weapon was lying several feet away.

"Zack, calm down," Reeve advised, keeping his voice as calm as he could. He followed Zack to his feet and stepped between him and the coffin. "Everything is okay. You just fell and hit your head."

Zack stared at him blearily and he cautiously started to feel along his scalp. "I did?"

Hardly believing he was actually taking Vincent's advice, the administrator nodded. "You must be tired. We were having a chat and you fell off the coffin and hit your head on the floor."

Zack looked suspiciously at the coffin. "I could swear a body inside that thing came to life and shoved the lid open on me."

Reeve's eyebrows went up and he managed to pull a convincingly ironic face. "Because that's the sort of thing dead bodies typically do, where you come from?"

"Well no," protested the younger man, "but it seemed so _real_! I don't feel any bumps or sore spots on my head, either."

Thinking quickly, Reeve lifted his right arm and pointed out the materia bangle around his wrist. "Cure materia. I cast it immediately, to lower the risk of concussion. Is your vision blurry at all and are you feeling any dizziness?"

"No...none of that." Zack rubbed his head and gave the coffin one more mistrustful, frowning look. "So, you're _sure_ I just lost my balance and hit my head?"

Reeve patted Zack's arm. "Zack, you've been under a lot of stress and this place doesn't exactly inspire thoughts of rainbows and puppies. If you really need proof, we could break open that coffin so you can look at the remains inside. I'd rather not do that, but—"

"No, no," Zack interrupted hastily, his complexion losing some color. He picked up his sword off the floor and secured it to his back. "I'm good. In fact, I think I want to get out of here for a little while and get some fresh air. I've just got to assign someone to watch the mansion for Sephiroth."

"I think that's a smart idea," agreed Reeve. Inwardly, he felt a surge of relief that Zack hadn't called his bluff. He could just see himself trying to stammer an explanation to both the Soldier AND Vincent, if Zack had chosen to force the coffin open for proof of the lie.

* * *

Seven days passed without the light in the basement going out even once. Reeve finished his testing procedures by the middle of the week, but when he tried to convince Sephiroth that it was time to go, the General told him with a chilling look in his eyes that he wasn't going anywhere, until he was finished. Zack advised Reeve to go ahead and return to Midgar, while he stayed behind with a couple of MP's to watch over Sephiroth. Because he didn't see the point in arguing, Reeve took the advice and he reported to Lazard when he arrived in Midgar. He didn't mention Vincent and he left the detailed reports of what Sephiroth was up to for Zack to take care of.

Unbeknownst to Zack, Angeal and Genesis got held up in the process of securing Hollander in custody. It was easier said than done for two wanted fugitives to turn a third one in to authorities, without getting collected themselves. Angeal contacted someone in Junon that he thought he could trust, but the man's greed was greater than his loyalty and he informed Rufus that they were coming. The couple ended up having to fight off ShinRa troops and Turks to escape Junon. They tried Midgar next, but the streets were too heavily policed and there was no way for them to drop off Hollander anywhere without being seen and attacked. Genesis recommended just letting the scientist go, or leaving him locked in a warehouse somewhere, but Angeal insisted he was too dangerous to leave unguarded.

Finally, Angeal came up with a solution. He contacted Zack's friend Kunsel—who had an uncanny knack for pilfering secret information from the company. He told him about their dilemma and he informed him that he needed someone trustworthy to meet up with them and take Hollander into custody, without turning he and Genesis in. Kunsel of course agreed to take Hollander off their hands and give him over to Lazard. Zack's faith in the kid turned out to be well founded. Kunsel was good on his word and by the end of the week, Genesis and Angeal were finally free to journey to Nibelheim and meet up with Zack.

Angeal spared a phone call to his protégé, to let him know they were coming. Zack sounded more stressed than he'd ever heard him before and the big man winced at the thought of what he'd had to handle by himself. When he ended the call, he looked to Genesis with a grim expression and shook his head. According to Zack's report, Sephiroth had almost completely withdrawn within himself and he hardly seemed to recognize anyone that checked in on him. The delay in providing him with the information was proving to be costly, indeed.

* * *

On the evening of the seventh day, shortly after receiving the call from Angeal, Zack got word from one of the MP's staying behind with him that the light had finally gone out in the basement. For all Zack knew, it meant that the last bulb finally blew...but he decided to check it out, anyway. When he made it to the research lab in the basement and turned the light on, he found the place in total disarray. Books were scattered everywhere and all the shelves were completely empty. Sephiroth sat at the desk with his head bowed and his masamune laying sidelong over the surface of it. Both gloved hands rested on the blade of the weapon and when Zack murmured his name, Sephiroth raised his head to look at him with eyes that didn't seem to recognize him anymore.

"Oh. The traitor."

Zack stared at him. "Huh? Seph...I left you down here alone, just like you asked. The only thing I did was bring you food so you wouldn't croak on me. How the hell have I betrayed you?"

Sephiroth smiled at him, and the expression seemed to leech all the warmth out of the room. "You fool. All of you humans...are fools. Do you know the price my people paid to ensure your continued, miserable existence?"

Zack couldn't have been more confused if he tried. He cast a suspicious look around the lab for leftover chemicals. "Have you been snorting something down here, man? You're not making any sense! 'Us humans'? What about _you_?"

"I'm better than humans. Much better."

Zack tensed as the taller man stood up and picked up his weapon. Sephiroth wasn't acting like the man he thought he knew. "And I thought Genesis was stuck up. Okay Seph...let's just talk this out rationally. If you aren't human, what are you? What did you find out while you were down here?"

"I learned what I already knew, deep down," answered Sephiroth cryptically. "_Your_ ancestors abandoned mine to their fate. It should have been the humans to die, not the Cetra. Mother wants me to correct that error and avenge my people."

It didn't take a rocket scientist to understand what Sephiroth was hinting at doing. Zack shook his head and started to reach for his weapon reluctantly, eyeing his crazed friend with aching desperation. "Sephiroth, listen to yourself. You're talking about killing innocent people over something you read in a few history books! Snap _out_ of it...this isn't _you_!"

Sephiroth's eyes flashed and he tensed. There was a rending sound and Zack was beyond the point of being surprised when a single, black wing extended from the right side of the general's back. Sephiroth grimaced briefly as if in pain and then he relaxed again, his gaze fixating on Zack.

"You're wrong. This _is_ me...as I was meant to be."

Beyond the breaking point of frustration and anxiety, Zack looked up at the ceiling and threw his hands up. "Are you _kidding_ me?"

The next thing Zack knew, he was shoved hard against the stony wall of the room and Sephiroth's face was mere inches from his. "For the sake of the time we spent as allies, I won't kill you," Sephiroth informed him in a dead, toneless voice. "You should avoid getting in my way."

With that said, Sephiroth grabbed a handful of Zack's hair and knocked his head against the wall, stunning him. He dropped the groaning brunet to the floor and left, leaving Zack to struggle to his feet and fight to stay conscious.

"Sephiroth...goddamn it! Don't do this!" Zack staggered after the general, clumsily drawing his sword in the process.

Sephiroth moved amazingly fast and within moments, he was at the end of the corridor and heading up the stairs. Zack started to run, banging against the walls as he meandered from side to side in his dizzy haste. He dug out his radio transmitter for quick communication to the other MP's in town. Telling them to try and detain Sephiroth could only get them killed, so he chose another approach.

"This is Corporal Fair," Zack gasped, "General Sephiroth is unstable...repeat, Sephiroth is unstable! I'm in pursuit. Avoid contact with him and keep civilians out of his way! Contact Director Lazard for SOLDIER backup to deal with this. Regular militia is to stand down."

Hoping his comrades would have the sense to obey his order, Zack checked his materia and activated a Cure spell to take care of his cranium. He hated to over-rely on healing spells for every little ache and pain, but he needed a clear head to handle this situation.

* * *

"Yes, Mother. I hear you. I'm coming for you."

He walked up the stairs in the restricted chamber of the reactor, his eyes fixated on the door at the top and his mother's name, arching over it. Images of people went through his mind as he went; a powerfully built man with chiseled features, brown hair and sincere blue eyes...another man with collar-length auburn hair, aqua eyes and an arrogant smirk...a younger man in his late teens with spiky raven hair, earnest blue-violet eyes and a friendly smile. He knew them all, but he couldn't recall their names. He couldn't even recall the name of the older man that made a brief appearance in his mind's eye, though he knew he loathed him, with his gaunt face, wire-rimmed glasses and oily black ponytail.

_~Forget about them,~_ coaxed Jenova, _~They no longer matter. Come to me, Sephiroth. I'm the only one who truly cares for you...the only one who can ever understand you.~_

He knew her words to be true, even as a part of him shrank away from them. He knew that going with his mother meant leaving behind the part of him that was human. He would have expected that to come easily...but he was apparently more attached to the first three men he'd envisioned than he realized. Jenova kept coaxing him to let go and the temptation was very strong to obey.

He made it to the top of the stairs and he readied his masamune. He prepared to slash through the thick steel door, but a shout gave him pause.

"Sephiroth, stop!"

He lowered his blade and he felt a smile grow on his lips against his conscious will. "They've come again, mother."

He turned around to face the intruder, studying him intently. He frowned, again stricken with the realization that even though this young man was familiar to him, he couldn't recall his name. The raven-haired Soldier lowered his blade and held a hand out in a pacifying gesture as he approached. His expression was full of...worry?

"Sephiroth, this isn't you. I know something's driven you to do this and if you could see yourself now, you'd put a stop to it."

"That makes utterly no sense," Sephiroth informed him coldly. "I have no intention of stopping myself, and I'm aware of what I'm doing. Mother and I are going to take back this planet together. I've warned you to stay out of my way...boy."

* * *

"'Boy'?" Zack repeated. "Wow, that's a little insulting, Seph. I've got a name, you know."

Sephiroth frowned oddly at him. "Puppy."

Usually he got annoyed when his mentors called him by that nickname, but under the circumstances, Zack found it encouraging. He nodded, keeping his gaze steady on the powerful general. "Yeah, that's the nickname Angeal came up with for me when he started training me. You picked up on it when you took over for him and I've been stuck with it every since. Why don't you come away from there and tell me what's going on, Sephiroth. Please?"

For a moment, Zack thought the other man might listen to him. Sephiroth seemed to waver and he really looked like he _wanted_ to join him at the foot of the steps...but then something seemed to click in his mind and he turned abruptly around. Before Zack could do or say anything, Sephiroth's masamune was slicing the air, singing as it went. It cut into the heavy door with a terrible screeching sound and Sephiroth followed up with a second cut, aimed at the hinges. The general planted a boot against the door and shoved, easily toppling it inwards. The resulting crash vibrated through the floor and Zack ran up the stairs to try and stop Sephiroth from doing something terrible—though he had no idea what that something could be.

"Seph—" He managed to touch the taller man's shoulder before Sephiroth turned smoothly and slapped him away with his wing. It wasn't a gentle nudge or shove...it sent Zack flying through the air and the impact when he landed on the hard grating at the foot of the stairs would have broken bones, if he'd been an average man.

"Unh...S-Sephiroth," Zack moaned, trying to crawl to his feet again.

His right arm wasn't working properly and it dawned on him that his shoulder was dislocated. The pain when he tried to reach for his sword was excruciating and he wondered how one hit from the man could have damaged him so badly. This definitely wasn't his starring week as a fighter. Still, he remembered Sephiroth's ominous words and for the safety of the people of Nibelheim, he needed to pull it together. He could use his Cure materia again after he got his weapon.

A black SOLDIER boot came into his vision as he reached for his sword and Zack looked up to see Angeal Hewley looking down at him. He felt such a burst of relief that he hugged the big man around the leg with his good arm—incidentally losing his balance and plopping flat on his face.

"Angeal! Where the hell have you been?"

"Watch your tone, Puppy," Genesis said as he came up beside Angeal. "We had some complications of our own." He started to reach down and help Zack to his feet but when the younger man yelped in pain, he released his arm and frowned.

"Shoulder," panted Zack, trying to roll into a sitting position. "It's...dislocated."

Angeal immediately reached down and started to activate the materia he'd had with him since his defection, but Genesis caught his wrist and stopped him with a shake of his head.

"Save it for after we've set it," advised the redhead, "Otherwise, you're wasting the magic charges just to cause him more pain later."

Angeal looked at Zack questioningly. Zack firmed his jaw and sat up, nodding. "I'll be okay. Just help me up, so I can help you guys handle Sephiroth. He's totally off his nut."

Genesis looked up at that moment and his eyebrows went up. "I can see that."

The other two followed his gaze to see Sephiroth stepping out of the once-sealed room he'd broken into. In his right hand, he held a dead woman's head by its long, dull silver hair. Her eyes were open and blank, and one of them glowed with an eerie pinkish light. Sephiroth hadn't even bothered to sever it neatly with his masamune; it appeared as though he simply ripped it off of her shoulders with his own hands. Bright green fluid dripped from the torn flesh at the base of the neck and part of the spinal cord was hanging down amongst arteries and tendons.

Zack leaned over and promptly vomited all over Genesis' boot. The red-clad Solder grimaced down at him and nudged him away with a low curse, while Angeal approached the foot of the stairs.

"Sephiroth, listen to me."

* * *

The face of the woman floating in the tank might have been his own, if Sephiroth had been born female. He would have preferred to liberate her entire body from the capsule imprisoning it, but Jenova's voice warned that there was no time for that. She told him that as long as he took a part of her with him, she could eventually make herself whole again. He naturally took the part housing her brain, feeling it was most important. He had forgotten all about the boy he'd knocked away moments ago and he wasn't expecting to see the other two men from his mind's eye waiting there with him. The youngest one was throwing up on the floor and the red-clad one was shaking his foot with a disgusted look on his face.

"Sephiroth, listen to me." The big one stood at the foot of the stairs, blocking Sephiroth's way out. He had an enormous white wing and a smaller one beneath it, on his right side. Attempting to fly over his head clearly wasn't an option.

"There's nothing you can say that will change anything," Sephiroth informed them all, his serpentine gaze sweeping them. He lifted his mother's head to display her greatness. "She's with me now, and we're going to the Promised Land together."

"I believe I've read a play that started this way before," murmured the redhead.

"Genesis," the big man said in a warning tone, glancing over his shoulder at him.

The redhead subsided and watched Sephiroth with aqua eyes that held a spark of something that might have been empathy. The big man turned back to Sephiroth and he held up a thick leather binder. "Sephiroth, that isn't your mother. It's no Cetra, either. Hojo was wrong about Jenova and I have the proof right here. Dr. Gast found the last _real_ Cetra and she vanished with him. The truth is all here, in these documents. We were all lied to and you need to know the facts, before you do anything."

"You'd be wise to listen to him," Genesis advised. "Vengeance has a sour flavor when directed against the wrong party."

Sephiroth hesitated, trying to shut out Jenova's voice so that he could think. Some of the fog cleared from his mind and he was able to place names with these men's faces again. He remembered why Angeal and Genesis had left. The sight of the big man's wings was a poignant reminder that he was no mere human, himself.

It would have been so much easier to believe that Jenova was an Ancient, as he had concluded from the snatches of information he was able to find and her insistent whispers. He couldn't deny the appeal in becoming a sort of god, above question or reproach. However, part of him always knew something wasn't right about the things Jenova said. Her influence was forceful...dominating. He'd given up on fighting it when he saw the failed experiments in this room, but what if Angeal's claims were true?

* * *

It looked like Sephiroth was reconsidering. Angeal tried not to look at the decapitated head still clutched in the general's right hand and he was very much aware of the deadly blade still firmly gripped in his left one.

"Sephiroth, whatever you've read or heard, it can't be worth all this. Just look at what we have to show you...for the sake of our friendship and your honor, if nothing else."

Sephiroth's gaze flicked to Zack, who had stopped vomiting and was holding his injured arm with his other hand. An expression flickered over the general's marble features, so fast that Angeal had to wonder if he'd imagined it. The last time he'd seen a glimpse of that look in Sephiroth's eyes was the day he'd accidentally nicked Genesis during their sparring session. Guilt was always a strange look on Sephiroth.

Sephiroth lifted Jenova's head and stared at it with an expression of a dreamer trying to wake from a nightmare. He slowly looked back at Angeal, Zack and Genesis. "Give me the documents."

* * *

They left Sephiroth alone in the chamber with the documents, giving him time to read through them and settle his state of mind.

"You _do_ realize that if this backfires on us, this town is going to be decimated and Midgar will soon follow." Genesis paused in his preparations to set Zack's injured shoulder and he gazed into Angeal's eyes seriously.

The big man was bracing Zack for the ordeal and he nodded grimly. "I know."

Zack didn't find their attitudes comforting. "So what are you guys saying? You don't think the two of you can stop him if he goes off?"

Angeal and Genesis looked at each other again and the former spoke in a low, resolved voice. "Zack, Sephiroth is the best SOLDIER has to offer. Genesis is the only one I've ever seen match him in a fight, and that was when Sephiroth was level-headed. He may have even been holding back. The truth is, nobody knows just _how_ powerful Sephiroth's fighting skills really are, but everyone agrees that he hasn't shown the world all that he has to offer, yet."

Zack looked at Genesis for confirmation and the normally cocky redhead lowered his troubled gaze and shrugged. "I believe I could defeat a sane Sephiroth in a fair fight," sighed Genesis, "but in his current state of mind, it's another matter. I've unfortunately recovered from my insanity over these past months, more or less. I don't think I can match his madness."

Zack groaned—more because of the implications of that ominous statement than because of pain. "Then we'd better find a tranquilizer gun or something, fast."

Genesis lifted an intrigued brow and looked to Angeal. "The pup actually has a practical idea, Angeal. I could challenge him, while you shoot him."

Angeal scowled. "You want me to shoot him in the back?"

Genesis shrugged. "Or, you could just let him go on a murderous killing spree. I'm still trying to find it in me to give a damn, but I know you would hold yourself personally responsible."

Angeal winced and Zack came to his defense. "Hey, don't put this off on him. I'll shoot Sephiroth with the dart, if I have to."

"I've seen your shooting records," Genesis said dryly. "You're a suck shot, Fair."

Zack grumbled. "Then let me distract him and _you_ shoot him. You don't seem to have any problem with it."

"I think you've done enough distracting this week," Angeal said sternly. "Leave this to us now, Zack."

"Hey, I can deal," insisted the younger Soldier. "Just set my shoulder, heal me and go get some tranquilizers from the MP's that came with us. I know they brought some with them in case Reeve needed a creature specimen to test for contamination. Check at the Inn...that's where they ought to be."

The three of them were so occupied with making their plans to ambush Sephiroth before he could go on a rampage that they failed to notice that the object of their discussion had come out of the chamber and was standing behind them. They were understandably startled when Sephiroth's voice spoke up.

"Or, instead of conspiring to shoot me when my back is turned, you could give me the benefit of the doubt and assume I still possess enough sense to control my own actions."

All three of them looked up at the general with wide eyes. He looked haggard and he had the file folder tucked safely under his right arm. Jenova's head was no longer with him—though the splatters of fluid from the tank and body still coated his outfit.

Angeal was the first to speak, once he recovered from his shock. "Sephiroth, you must understand that we have good reason to worry. The way you've been talking and acting has been—"

"Disturbing," interrupted Sephiroth, "I know." He shuddered faintly and he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, leaving the point of his sword lowered in a neutral manner.

"I...can't explain," he finally said. "These feelings...these thoughts...they aren't all mine. Hojo gives me treatments that help manage it. Without them...I...this was the worst it's ever been. When I saw those creatures, I knew they had undergone something similar to what was done to me, even though I had no factual evidence."

"So...you're not going to go on a big genocide mission now?" Zack hedged, wincing as he got to his feet.

"I don't recall even saying that I would," answered the general with a frown. "I slipped away."

"At the risk of asking a grisly question," Genesis said, "what did you do with the head?"

"I put it back."

"In the specimen tank?" pressed Angeal.

Sephiroth nodded. "Its proximity only cripples my concentration further."

Zack looked around at the other men uncertainly. "What happens now, then?"

"We seal the room back up," Sephiroth said, slipping back into his commanding attitude despite the exhaustion evident on his face and the way his left hand trembled as it gripped the hilt of his sword. He offered the blade to Angeal. "Take it. I can't be trusted with it."

Angeal took the blade without argument, frowning at Sephiroth. "What can we do for you, Sephiroth?"

"You can take me into custody," answered the general. "See to Zackary's arm first and then arrange for transport out of here to Midgar. I'm to be taken off active duty and the two of you should work with Director Lazard to clear your fugitive status."

Genesis stared at him and for a moment, Angeal thought he'd have to remind the redhead that he'd already agreed to cooperate with authorities to earn his pardon. Genesis evidently had a different bone to pick, though.

"That's it? You aren't even going to _consider_ the possibility of killing Hojo?"

Angeal and Zack both gave the redhead an incredulous look, prompting Genesis to shrug. "I just find it a bit odd, considering everything he's done. Then again, we all know how I dealt with _my_ little disclosure."

"Hojo is still needed." Sephiroth's complexion was ashen. "Any personal satisfaction I might derive from slashing him in two would only be temporary. My...condition...requires his treatment. He's safe from my blade...for now."

Angeal nodded in understanding. Sephiroth was a closed book in most cases, but the one personality trait he'd learned to predict from the other man was an unfailing sense of practicality and logic. He was relieved that those traits were now shining through enough to overpower the personal demons Sephiroth was battling.

* * *

-To be continued


	8. Chapter 8

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter eight: An ounce of prevention

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note: _**_I think I agree with Genesis' sentiments about "protective Angeal". _

* * *

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters. _**

* * *

The return to Midgar obviously wasn't a cheerful one. Genesis and Angeal were manacled with heavy titanium cuffs and chained to the floor of the transport vehicle that came for them. Because he'd made the decision to relinquish his weapon and materia himself, Sephiroth wasn't treated as a prisoner. He spoke to no one during the trip back and he was even more withdrawn than usual. All three of the champion Soldiers' signature blades were confiscated, and they would be placed in lockup once they reached Midgar. The whole affair was horribly depressing, even for a naturally chipper person like Zack.

He only caught a brief glimpse of Angeal when they reached Rocket Town, before the big man and Genesis were ushered into the holding area of the airship waiting to take them home. The pilot—a blond man by the name of Cid Highwind—had an informal way of speaking that could be considered rude by socially classy people. He spoke to Sephiroth like he was just some regular Joe and he cussed at his crew when they didn't move fast enough to suit him.

As soon as they set down at the airport in Midgar and disembarked, several armed MP's surrounded the airship, ready to shoot at the slightest provocation.

"Wow...really?" Zack said, nearing the end of his temper. The leader of the group approached and saluted, but Zack didn't return the salute. "Don't you think you guys are going a _little_ overboard?"

"We're just following orders, Corporal Fair," answered the infantry Corporal. "These individuals are considered extremely dangerous and every precaution must be maintained." The man paled and gulped as Sephiroth stepped off the airship, his long hair billowing in the wind. The infantryman stood at attention and saluted sharply as the general came up beside Zack.

"At ease," said Sephiroth. When the MP complied, he glanced over his shoulder at his two associates—who were coming out under heavy guard. Evidently, they presumed Angeal was the bigger threat simply because of his size and grim countenance. He was more heavily guarded than his red-clad companion.

"I want those men treated well," instructed Sephiroth with a nod at the prisoners. "They haven't been tried with a crime yet and they've chosen to turn themselves in."

"Sir." The infantryman saluted Sephiroth again and relayed orders to his men.

Sephiroth gave a respectful nod to Angeal and Genesis, both of whom nodded back. Genesis looked like he was just barely putting up with all this. Sephiroth turned to Zack, who stood wondering what he was supposed to do next.

"I'm going to report to Lazard," informed the general. "Once I've dealt with more immediate concerns, I'll do what I can to help clear your mentor's name. Rhapsodos' release may prove to be more complicated, but the director will cooperate with me. You'll be called on for a debriefing later. Get some refreshment, clean up and rest while you can."

Zack nodded and he couldn't help but notice how pale the general looked. Sephiroth's face glistened with sweat and his pupils kept expanding and contracting weirdly. "What about you? Are _you_ going to be okay?"

Sephiroth hesitated for a second before nodding. "I'll manage. Concentrate on your duties and don't allow our situations to distract you, Zackary."

With that said, Sephiroth turned on his heel and left Zack staring after him with a worried expression. The young Soldier cast another look at his mentor and Genesis, being steadily led away from the landing area. Angeal's eyes met his over the distance and he called out to him, stopping. His captors grunted and tried to force him to keep moving, but Angeal was like an iron statue, refusing to budge from his spot. Zack ran over to him and pushed his way through the group of MP's surrounding him.

"It's cool," he insisted to them. "Just let me through for a minute!"

Because they had orders to treat the prisoners with care and it was common knowledge that Hewley was Zack's instructor, they allowed him through. Angeal bent over a bit and leaned in close to Zack to speak into his ear, getting straight to the point.

"Watch him, Zack." Angeal nodded meaningfully at Sephiroth's retreating form. "Every minute you can spare."

Zack looked at the general, then at Angeal. "You think there's still a threat?"

Angeal frowned at Sephiroth before locking eyes with Zack again. "I think he's a threat to himself."

Zack felt a chill race up his spine. The guards resumed ushering Angeal away and this time, he didn't resist. He kept his eyes on Zack and he stressed the importance of his final order to him. "Watch him!"

* * *

"I've been informed that you've relinquished your command," Lazard said when Sephiroth came to his office. His nose wrinkled of its own accord as the chemical smell from the stains on the general's uniform wafted up his nostrils. "Coffee?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "I don't need a stimulant, right now."

Lazard studied him quietly, taking in the tense stance, the ashen complexion and the clenched jaw. Sephiroth was usually the hardest man to read on Gaia, but today his entire body seemed to scream with anxiety.

"What _happened_, Sephiroth?"

The tall swordsman rubbed his temples for a moment, before meeting Lazard's eyes. The director noticed the odd behavior of the slit pupils and he frowned uneasily. He wasn't an easy man to rattle, but there was something disturbing about Sephiroth's demeanor and eyes.

"Can I trust you, director?"

Lazard sobered. "I thought you and I had already established a rapport, General. Though our positions in this establishment are quite different, we share the same goals, ultimately. If you feel you can't trust me by now, then what are we doing?"

Sephiroth took a slow breath and nodded. "I concur."

"Then tell me what's going on," demanded the director, his pale brows drawing together with concern. "Frankly, I've never seen you look so...defeated."

Sephiroth smirked without humor. "I have another personality inside of me."

Lazard stared at him.

"My mother's voice," Sephiroth went on, "telling me to reclaim Gaia and punish humanity."

He withdrew a leather-wrapped bundle of documents from within his coat and dropped it on Lazard's desk. "Thanks to the efforts of Hewley and Rhapsodos, I learned that my 'inner voice' doesn't belong to my true mother, after all. It belongs to a virus...the same one that wiped out the entire race of Cetra. You can read the details concerning Hojo's attempts to re-create the Cetra race in those files. The Professor mistakenly believed that Jenova was an Ancient, and he began the Jenova project with Dr. Hollander, Dr. Gast and Dr. Crescent—my birth mother. I believe Dr. Gast was murdered to keep his silence, as there is incriminating evidence against Hojo in these files. You also have Hollander in your custody, I believe. You can question him further on the matter."

Lazard's gaze dropped to the documents, his aristocratic features betraying confusion and wariness. "What exactly do you want me to do, Sephiroth? Arrest Hojo?"

The general shook his head. "No. Imprisoning him will only make it difficult to obtain evidence that he's conducting unsanctioned research under the company's nose. He didn't stop with the Jenova project, Director. I have reason to believe he's still conducting secret experiments and he's doing so with the help of someone with authority in this establishment."

"In SOLDIER?"

"No...not this department," answered Sephiroth, "but someone from another department. Do you recall my asking you about a search and rescue department called SOLDIER unit 14?"

"Yes, and I thought it was strange that none of their pickups ever made it back alive. I swear to you, Sephiroth, I never heard of that department until you came to me asking about it."

"I assume you asked the president about it?"

Lazard nodded. "Yes, and he advised me that I didn't have the clearance level to concern myself with it. Arguing with him would have availed me nothing."

"Interesting," muttered Sephiroth. He winced and rubbed his temples again, "but a matter to be discussed later. You may want to sit down, Director."

Lazard took his advice and sat in his chair, while Sephiroth gave his account of what he recalled from the events in Nibelheim. When he was finished, Lazard's mouth was slack and his hands were clasped on top of the desk.

"Fair will provide a more accurate account of these events, I'm sure," Sephiroth informed once he'd finished. "My recollection is compromised. I'm sure you can agree that the details of this incident need to remain within this department. Report that I had a break down, if you must, but don't mention my finding Jenova's body and get people you can trust to repair that sealed door."

"Well...I..." Lazard gathered his thoughts for a moment before continuing. "How long have you heard this voice in your head, General?"

"For as long as I can recall," answered Sephiroth. "Hojo's treatments silence it for a while—which is part of the reason I don't want him detained in prison. Whatever he's been doing, I suspect he has the President's backing and this department is currently too weak to fight with the others."

"I see," mused the director. He looked down at his clasped hands with a sigh. "I never would have guessed you were suffering that way."

"I'd rather not make this a pity party," Sephiroth informed coolly. "What I need from you right now, Director, is your company in the lab."

Lazard raised a brow. "You intend to confront Hojo? I thought the plan was to have him monitored."

"It still is." Sephiroth rubbed his forehead and grimaced. "My control is finite at the moment, Director. I need treatment and from now on, I want a witness when it occurs. Choose a second witness you can trust. I want every one of my treatments documented by someone other than Hojo or his lab assistants, from this day forward."

Lazard didn't have to think about it for long. "How do you feel about Administrator Tuesti as the second witness?"

Sephiroth nodded. "A good choice. I'd like to get this over with quickly, so contact him now and have him meet up with us in Hojo's lab. Once this is finished, you can get Zack's report and I'd like you to start working on having Sergeant Hewley and Lieutenant Rhapsodos released from holding."

Lazard grimaced at the last part, but he wasn't about to argue with Sephiroth in his current condition.

* * *

Sephiroth nearly tripped over Zack when he walked out the door with Lazard. He frowned at the younger Soldier. "Something you need, Fair?"

"I came to give my report," said Zack. He nodded at Lazard. "Director."

"You can give your report when you've been called in to do so," Sephiroth informed him. "The director and I have somewhere to be."

"Yeah? Need any help?" Zack started walking with them down the hallway.

"No. This doesn't concern you," Sephiroth answered. "Go about your regular duties until you're called upon, Corporal."

"I don't really have anywhere to be right now," Zack informed him. "Nobody's given me any assignments."

Sephiroth stopped and sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Then go and train. Improve your technique and strengthen your weak points. I really don't have time to stand around making suggestions for you, Fair. There's work to be done."

Zack took the berating stoically, though his eyes betrayed concern he couldn't disguise. "Yes Sir. I'll get out of your way, now."

Sephiroth and Lazard watched him go, and when he was around the corner and out of sight, the young Director commented on his behavior. "He's a dedicated one, General. One might get the impression that he's attempting to watch over you."

Sephiroth's mouth twitched. "One might."

* * *

Zack went to visit Angeal and Genesis in holding, when it became clear to him that he couldn't keep an eye on Sephiroth without being conspicuous. They tried to deny him visitation rights but one of the wardens recognized him and let him in. He was given five minutes to speak with the two prisoners—who were kept in separate cells, side by side.

"Angeal, you awake?" Zack called through the barred window of the thick, steel door of his mentor's cell.

Angeal's face appeared at the window. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to watch Sephiroth."

"I'm trying, man. It's a little hard without the clearance to follow him around everywhere, though. I got shooed away and he didn't look like he was in the mood for an argument."

In the cell beside Angeal's, Genesis' snort could be heard. "Don't tell me you're actually _surprised_ your puppy couldn't properly obey your command, Angeal. Sephiroth doesn't take well to being crowded."

"Of course not," sighed Angeal, "but we've only been back for two hours. Sephiroth has endured a serious breakdown and normal people don't just get over something like that."

"Sephiroth isn't exactly 'normal', is he?" reminded Genesis. Zack looked through the window of his cell to see the redhead reclining on his back in the bunk, with his hands laced together behind his head. "For all _we_ know, it's perfectly natural for him to go from one extreme to the other. He's never had a shock like this before, so we have no basis for comparison."

"That's the point," argued Angeal. He looked at Zack through the bars. "I understand it's a lot of responsibility to heap on your shoulders, but while we're in here, I have to rely on you. You should already be familiar with Sephiroth's personal time schedule. Try not to leave him alone for long, if you can."

Genesis sighed and shook his head. "I really don't think encouraging Fair to pester the hell out of our falcon is going to bring good results."

"Then what would you suggest?" challenged Angeal.

"Give him room to breathe," answered Genesis. "He doesn't like people. You _both_ know that. Sephiroth prefers to work things out on his own and I say that's _exactly_ what we should let him do...at least for a few days."

Zack nodded. "I think that's a pretty good point."

Angeal shook his head. "I'm sorry Genesis, but I disagree. This isn't a typical situation and we still don't know exactly _why_ Sephiroth went off the way he did. Something triggered his breakdown before we brought the information to him, and we can't treat this as a mildly irritating event."

"He was all moody and withdrawn before we even made it to Nibelheim," Zack pondered aloud. "Something was already getting to him, before we set foot in that pod room. Seeing those creatures just cinched it, I think."

Genesis rolled onto his side and propped himself up on one elbow. "Angeal said you reported that Sephiroth locked himself up in the ShinRa data room, the night of the clone attacks."

"That's right," agreed Zack. "He said he found some information that Hojo screwed around with my DNA too. He tried to put those S-genes into me but—"

"You didn't tell me that."

Zack looked at his mentor and he grimaced when he saw the dangerous glint in his eyes. "Relax, big guy. I was about to tell you I was a dud. Whatever Hojo tried to do to me didn't take. He must have done it while I was getting my Mako treatments...but I'm fine now, so don't worry."

"He performed an unauthorized procedure on you," Angeal said in a low voice. "A minor...and my student. That's another mark against him."

"It was smart of you to tell him now," Genesis complimented. He got out of his bunk and approached the cell door, wearing a little smirk on his face. "Had you given Hewley this information before they locked us up, I doubt Hojo would still be alive to enjoy the fruits of his scheming."

Angeal relaxed with visible difficulty. "I wouldn't have done anything rash. I fully intend to do what I can to see Hojo and Hollander brought to justice...the honorable way."

Genesis rolled his eyes. "Say what you will. I still think that if the man were here now, you'd defy the laws of physics and yank him through that tiny window...piece by piece, if necessary. One doesn't threaten an alpha wolf's pup without consequence."

Angeal lowered his eyes and his mouth curved into a brief, subtle smile. "It would be tempting to try," he confessed. He looked at Zack again, searchingly. "If you feel any adverse effects at all, I want you to go to a civilian doctor. Understand?"

Zack resisted the urge to roll his eyes like Genesis. "Scout's honor, Ange. Look, my time's almost up with you guys and I've got to go stalk Seph outside the research sector. Is there anything I should watch out for, as far as his behavior goes? I mean, can you think of any warning signs I should be looking for that I might have missed last time?"

"I think you know him well enough to tell when something isn't right," Angeal said thoughtfully. "But if you aren't sure about something, come to us with it if you can."

"I can think of one ultimate warning sign," Genesis remarked. "If he starts trying to be nice to you, watch out."

Thinking of the way Seph spoke to him in the basement before he really started to lose it, Zack thought that was a fair warning.

* * *

When Zack was gone and they were alone in the small, ultra-secure cellblock again, Genesis couldn't resist making an observation.

"Angeal, I've come to notice something about you."

The big man turned his head in the direction of his companion's voice. "Like what?"

"You're sexy when you get protective. My pants suddenly feel too tight."

Angeal flushed.

* * *

"Explain this," demanded Hojo with a gesture at the two department administrators standing outside the glass. "What are they doing here, boy?"

"Observing," answered Sephiroth coolly. "It occurs to me that I have no idea exactly what you do when you put me under for treatment. I'm sure you've heard about my breakdown, by now. I want all treatments witnessed and documented from now on."

"I hardly think this is necessary," Hojo complained with a disdainful gesture at the Lazard and Reeve. "These men aren't scientists! They can't possibly understand what I—"

Sephiroth's hand suddenly caught Hojo around the throat and lifted him, shoving him against the glass observation window. His pupils expanded wide, swallowing the green in his eyes. "Shut the bitch up, Professor. _Now_."

"Sephiroth," called Lazard and Reeve in unison. They both watched tensely, and one of the passing lab assistants nearly dropped her tray at the sight of the general holding her boss suspended like that.

Hojo could see the truth in Sephiroth's eyes...or at least, part of it. He knew something. His referencing Jenova as 'the bitch' instead of his 'mother' made Hojo suspect that he'd somehow found out that Jenova wasn't the name of his birth mother.

"Release me," Hojo commanded sternly, somehow managing to keep the fear out of his voice.

Thankfully, the warrior complied—which Reeve and Lazard evidently found surprising, if the looks on their faces were any indication. The silver warrior lowered him to the floor and stepped back, glaring at him. Hojo resisted a smirk, sensing his subject's frustration. He'd taken certain precautions for his own protection, in the event that Sephiroth ever discovered the truth and became unmanageable. He couldn't tell how much the boy knew, but he was doubly thankful for the compulsions he'd seen fit to give him.

Hojo's smugness only lasted as long as it took him to look up and see the two executives still standing there. Evidently, they knew about Sephiroth's 'inner voice' now and for whatever reason, he'd chosen them as his witnesses. Reinforcing one particular hidden compulsion he'd given Sephiroth would be difficult now—if not impossible. He could worry about that later, though. He suspected he was under investigation, and he needed to make some changes to protect his work.

* * *

After witnessing the bizarre scene of Hojo having a discussion with an alien life form inside of Sephiroth, Reeve took a couple of days to think about it and he came to the conclusion that the general needed outside help, if he was ever going to have the chance of living his life without relying on Hojo's manipulations. He would have liked to say he was making his decision out of pure humanitarian compassion, but he had ulterior motives. First and foremost was the desire to decrease the chances of such a powerful man having another breakdown in the future. The second ulterior motive was self-centered. He simply wanted to spend time with a former Turk who fascinated him.

Reeve spoke with Lazard about it and he explained to him that he might know someone who could help Sephiroth control his inner voice, but he needed transport back to Nibelheim. Considering the danger of Hojo's hypnotherapy failing again, Lazard was happy to arrange transport for Reeve.

While Reeve prepared to travel to Nibelheim once more, Lazard arranged a meeting with the president and discussed the possibility of releasing Angeal and Genesis from custody. He argued that Angeal hadn't committed any crimes against ShinRa to begin with, and Genesis was unwell when he attacked Banora. He reminded his father that Hollander was responsible for the clones, and the attack on Headquarters was his idea.

President Shinra agreed under certain conditions, which Lazard had no choice but to accept. The paperwork would take a day to complete and authorize, and there was no guarantee that the prisoners would agree to sign the contract.

* * *

Angeal looked up with a frown when his cell door opened to admit Director Lazard. He got to his feet and gave him a respectful nod. "Director."

"Hello, Angeal," greeted Lazard. "I need you to come with me, to discuss a matter of some importance."

Angeal glanced at the wall that separated his and Genesis' prison cells.

"He'll have his opportunity, too," promised Lazard. "I want to speak with you first."

Angeal regarded the blond man suspiciously. "Is this about our release, or something else?"

"It's about the conditions of your release," explained Lazard. He reached into his blazer and pulled out a folded document. "The details are in this paperwork, but I'd really prefer to discuss it in the privacy of my office. Will you come with me or not?"

"It doesn't sound like I have much of a choice," observed the Soldier, crossing his powerful arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry," apologized Lazard. "None of us do, I'm afraid. Whether you agree to these terms or not is your choice, but I must insist that you go over them with me before you decide."

Angeal sighed and gave a stoic nod of agreement. "And Genesis will be offered the same terms?"

"More or less," answered Lazard. "His situation isn't quite the same, due to his past actions, but I've managed to secure a contract for him as well."

"Then we'd best get going."

Lazard called the guards in and Angeal allowed them to cuff his wrists and ankles—though Lazard protested at the latter. The guards refused to leave Angeal un-hobbled despite Lazard's insistence and he gave the big man a faintly apologetic look before throwing his hands up in defeat. None of it bothered Angeal, but he couldn't resist casting a worried look over his shoulder at Genesis' cell door as he prepared to follow Lazard out of the cellblock. Genesis was standing at the barred window and he rolled his eyes when he saw the concern on Angeal's face.

"Nobody's going to make me their bitch while you're gone, Hewley. I don't even have any cell mates to worry about."

Having Genesis so easily read the anxiety in his face was only half as embarrassing as his sarcastic way of pointing out the flaw in his unspoken fears. It wasn't like Angeal had ever done time before and he couldn't help it if his mind went straight to prison life stories when he thought of Genesis' pretty-boy looks and talented mouth.

"Just try not to insult the guards too much while I'm gone," grumbled the big man.

* * *

Angeal read over the conditions of his release papers with a frown. The first condition was easy enough to agree with: the Banora incident was to be buried, never to be mentioned again. He honestly had no problem with that, as shameful as it felt to admit it. The second condition was a bit more troublesome.

Angeal looked up from the paper to the director, sitting across the desk from him. "They want DNA samples?"

Lazard nodded. "Those are the terms."

"Why?" Angeal was instantly suspicious, thinking of everything he'd learned during the time he and Genesis went into hiding. "Don't tell me they've got Hollander working in the lab again."

"No, of course not," assured Lazard hastily. "He's under strict observation and while he's allowed to participate in standard research for the good of the company, he isn't permitted anywhere near an actual lab. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Hojo."

"What do they want with my DNA?"

"I don't know," admitted Lazard helplessly. "The president's official explanation is that they want to study your cells because you and Genesis were cured of degeneration that would have eventually killed you. They've apparently taken samples from Hollander as well, since he let it slip that he was infected with Genesis' cells while he was in your custody. My guess is you two hold some answers to past failures that Hojo wants to correct."

Angeal wasn't impressed by what he was hearing. "I thought you were going to have Hojo arrested for illegal experimentation, like Hollander."

"I would like to," answered Lazard, "but unlike Hollander, Hojo hasn't been caught making a move against the company. As far as the president is concerned, his unsanctioned experiments on Sephiroth yielded positive results in the form of a superior Soldier. That Soldier's actions helped him secure Wutai, as well. In his eyes, that makes Hojo's unsanctioned research forgivable."

Angeal wanted to remind Lazard that the "superior Soldier" Hojo created had recently become unstable, but he could see by the look in his blue-gray eyes that it wasn't necessary. The president cared about results that brought him more power, not how those results were achieved.

"How do the conditions for Genesis' release differ from my own?"

Lazard looked uncomfortable. "For one, he'll have to agree to psychiatric evaluation. It's no surprise that his actions have called his mental stability into question. Like Sephiroth, he'll need to undergo the evaluation to determine whether he's capable of resuming his normal duties to SOLDIER. If not, he can still be released from custody, but he'll be removed from active duty until further evaluation yields satisfactory results."

Angeal shut his eyes, unsurprised by the news but troubled, all the same. "Genesis isn't insane."

"If anyone could say that with certainty, I'm sure it's you," comforted Lazard, "but the company needs more than the word of his childhood friend."

Angeal nodded, understanding the logic even as it bothered him. Genesis was not going to take kindly to having his sanity questioned by complete strangers—even if he _did_ admit to losing control for a time.

"Talk to him," advised Lazard seriously. "Convince him to do this and get it over with, Angeal. The company recognizes that you're both valuable assets—too valuable to dispose of or lock away if it can be helped. I had to argue long and hard to convince President Shinra to wave Genesis' status as a terrorist. This is his only chance to free himself, short of a prison break."

Lazard handed a pen over to Angeal and waited, his eyes going to the release contract meaningfully. Angeal considered the papers for several moments before sighing and giving his signature.

"I'll try to convince Genesis, if he doesn't cooperate."

"Good. I'll make the call to have him brought in here, then."

* * *

Genesis wasn't surprised to find Angeal waiting in one of the chairs, when the guards escorted him into the office and had him sit down at Lazard's desk. They left him there and he looked at Angeal with a silent question in his eyes as the director produced some papers and slid them over to him.

"The terms for your release," explained Lazard. "Angeal just signed his. Now all that's left is for you to read through yours and give your signature, Genesis."

The redhead looked sidelong at Angeal. "I want my book returned to me, first. I won't read so much as a single sentence until 'Loveless' is back in my hands."

Lazard looked at Angeal and the big man shrugged. "I warned them not to take it."

The director sighed and reached out to push a button on his phone. "Mr. Roland."

"Yes, Director?"

"I need you to go to detainment sector five and retrieve the book they confiscated from Genesis Rhapsodos, when they processed him. Tell them it's a direct request from me and if they give you any trouble, contact me."

"Yes Sir."

* * *

A little under a half an hour later, Genesis was flipping through the pages of his beloved play book, checking for any damage it might have incurred during its brief time away from him.

"Satisfied now?" pressed Lazard.

"Mmm," agreed Genesis with a nod. He set the book on the desk and reached for his coffee with both hands, since his wrists were bound together with the manacles. He took a sip of the creamy treat provided for him and he frowned.

"My latte has gone cold." He pushed the Styrofoam cup towards Lazard. "Get me another one."

"Genesis," muttered Angeal warningly.

"I'll be happy to warm your latte up in my microwave," offered Lazard, "as long as you start reading the terms of your release agreement."

Genesis shrugged and picked up the documents. "Fair enough."

Lazard picked up the cup and carried it across the room to the little microwave in the corner. Genesis yawned dramatically, leaned back in his chair and lifted both legs while Angeal stared in confusion. When the redhead propped his boots on the edge of Lazard's desk and made a show of reclining as he read his release papers, Angeal groaned and put his head in his hands. The director turned around at the noise and he raised a golden brow when he saw the way Genesis had propped his heels on his desk.

"I'm sorry," Angeal apologized, the words muffled behind his hands.

"Don't apologize," Genesis advised without looking up from his paperwork. His frown deepened further by the second. "Especially not for me. If anything, I believe Lazard owes _us_ an apology."

Angeal lifted his head out of his hands and took his elbows off the desk. "What are you talking about?"

Genesis raised his aqua gaze from the documents and fixed it on Lazard—who was standing with cool dignity by the microwave. "He knows what I'm talking about. This agreement is a steaming pile of chocobo dung."

Angeal misunderstood his anger. "I know you aren't happy about the evaluation, but it's only an hour or so of your life and then it will be over with."

"I'm not talking about the psyche evaluation," corrected Genesis, "although that _does _piss me off, too."

Angeal furrowed his brows. "Then what exactly _are_ you talking about?"

Genesis heaved a frustrated sigh and took his feet off the desk. He placed the documents on the surface next to his book and he shut his eyes to rub them tiredly with his fingertips. "Your release is contingent upon my signature."

Angeal frowned, further confused.

Genesis turned his head to look at him. "It means that if I don't sign, you get to rot in jail with me."

Comprehension bled into Angeal's chiseled features and he gave Lazard an accusing look. "You knew about this. Why didn't you tell me? Why even bother having me sign?"

"Because your cooperation with the terms of your release is still necessary, if Genesis agrees to sign his name," answered Lazard.

He approached and he set Genesis' coffee on the desk before him, eyeing them both in turn with an unwavering, determined gaze. "I've known the two of you long enough to understand how things work. Where one of you goes, the other is sure to follow. You're both too valuable to risk losing, and I don't just say that because the president thinks so. This department needs you. Things have been falling apart and Sephiroth's recent episode put further cracks in an already damaged structure. I need the three of you to recover from this, and if I have to play hardball to ensure that happens, then by Alexander, that's what I'm going to do."

Lazard straightened up and sighed. "Genesis, you can either sign this document and you can both walk out of this room free of restraints, or you can refuse and you can both return to your cells. I think you know which option I would prefer you take."

Genesis looked at Angeal again, who was staring at Lazard with a look of disappointed betrayal. Unlike his muscular companion, however, Genesis wasn't surprised by the director's ruthlessness. Angeal seemed to forget all too easily that Lazard had plotted with Hollander and Genesis to bring down ShinRa. The redhead fought a sigh. He really despised giving in to anyone, but he hated the thought of Angeal—who had done nothing wrong to begin with—being imprisoned for his sins.

"Well played, Director. It seems you have me by the balls." Genesis straightened up in his chair and reached for the pen resting by the documents. He smirked up at Lazard. "Have a care not to handle them for too long, though. I have a jealous lover."

Seeing Angeal struggle to keep a straight face in response to that was almost worth the agony of defeat.

* * *

Zack almost fell over when he opened the door to his new, private quarters and found Angeal and Genesis standing there.

"Holy shit! They let you out?" He hugged the big man impulsively and Angeal gave him a brief pat before pushing him away.

"Under certain conditions," answered Angeal. He lifted his foot off the floor a little and pointed down at the electronic device strapped around his boot. Genesis likewise wore one.

"They put trackers on you?" Zack didn't know if he found it funny or upsetting.

"Yes, they need to keep their pet monsters tagged," groused Genesis. "We can remove them to sleep, shower and change but we have to wear the damned things at all times when we step out of our quarters."

"It's only temporary," Angeal explained with stoicism typical of him. "The probation period will end when they're satisfied that we're ready to return to our duties."

"I don't even know why they put _you_ under probation," Genesis sighed at Angeal. "I'm the one they're worried about. You'll go back to being the boyscout you always were."

"They're doing it for the same reason they put the additional stipulation on your release papers," Angeal reasoned, "to ensure cooperation."

"What are you guys talking about?" Zack asked, brows knitting in confusion. "Oh, and come on in."

The two older men complied with the invitation and once Zack shut and locked the door behind them, they explained further.

"The company was worried that Genesis wouldn't cooperate with the terms of release drawn up for him," Angeal said with a sidelong look at his companion. "So they made my release dependant upon his cooperation."

Zack winced. "Ouch. That's freaking harsh."

"You think?" Genesis was frowning unhappily.

"It isn't important," insisted Angeal. "We've procured our release and with any luck, things can start settling down again soon. We'll get our weapons and access levels back once the probation period is finished."

"So can I stop stalking the general now?" Zack requested. "I mean, since you guys are out and you can help me keep an eye on him."

Angeal shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry Zack, but I need you to shoulder this responsibility for a while longer. The president has ordered us to travel with Lazard to Junon, tomorrow. There's going to be a summit meeting between departments there and he wants us to attend, since Sephiroth is on vacation from his duties."

Zack's face screwed up. "Why you guys? How are you supposed to be Lazard's bodyguards if they won't even let you have your swords?"

"Soldiers don't _need_ weapons to do damage, Zack," Angeal frowned at him. "I thought you knew that, by now."

Zack scratched the back of his head and fidgeted self-consciously. "Well yeah, but when someone's coming at you with something sharp and pointy, it helps to have something sharp and pointy yourself to fight back with, right?"

Angeal chuckled. "Don't worry, Zack. I don't think Lazard will be attacked."

"We're being sent with him as a message," Genesis surmised. "The president wants to show us off, no doubt. Our presence is more for company moral than for Lazard's protection."

"Why do you have to be so cynical?" Zack demanded of the redhead. "Maybe they're just trying to make a gesture...show you they want you back in."

"Genesis is right," Angeal sighed.

The redhead looked at him with surprise. "You agree with me, then? I admit I expected more protest from you."

Angeal nodded grimly and leaned against the wall. "I'm not going to delude myself. President Shinra likes to flaunt his power whenever he can. Sending us there with Lazard is his way of giving his people the message that he's in complete control."

"Yes, seeing us there with our little...anklets—" Genesis shook his foot irritably, "—will assure the suits that even those who turn on ShinRa will eventually be reigned in and reformed...like good little slaves."

Angeal put a hand on Genesis' shoulder and squeezed it supportively. "Easy, Gen. Don't let it get to you."

Zack couldn't blame Genesis for his anger and frustration. Seeing the two of them treated like unruly dogs chapped his ass, too. "Old man Shinra's a real dickhead."

"True," agreed Genesis, "but then, he's a businessman. They're all generally dickheads, to a certain extent."

Angeal neither agreed nor disagreed. He had other concerns on his mind. "Can we count on you to watch over Sephiroth for a while longer, Zack?"

Zack nodded. "I can do that for you, Ange. Just keep Gen-Gen from tearing someone's face off."

Genesis scowled at Zack's new nickname for him.

* * *

-To be continued


	9. Chapter 9

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter nine: Diplomacy

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note:_**_ This chapter has been censored. Please remember that this fanfiction occurs on an alternate timeline, and many events differ from canon in ways that range from slight to drastic. _

* * *

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.

* * *

He wanted to ignore the knocking. It seemed like it had only been a few hours since the last time someone had rudely awakened him, though he knew that days—perhaps even months—had passed since then.

Vincent groaned. "Leave me be."

"I wish I could do that, friend," Reeve answered, "but this really isn't a social call. This is about Sephiroth."

Vincent's ruby eyes opened and a frown twisted his mouth. Perhaps he had over-estimated the young man's ability to take care of himself, or perhaps his situation was direr than Reeve previously let on. "What of him?"

"It's complicated," Reeve answered. "Please, come out and discuss it with me. If you decide to sleep again after hearing what I've got to say, I won't argue with you."

Vincent uttered a rare curse under his breath. "Move aside."

"I'm already three steps away," assured Reeve's voice dryly.

The gunman nearly smirked. In truth, Reeve Tuesti was the only person he thought he could call "friend" on Gaia, now. Though they only saw one another for a couple of weeks out of each year since they first met, Reeve seemed to understand him better than most. Vincent unfastened the inside locks of the coffin and shoved the lid off, leaving it to clatter hollowly against the earthen floor. He sat up and looked at his friend with a sigh, his mind briefly acknowledging the fact that Reeve cut quite the dashing figure in his indigo blue suit.

"This had better be good, Reeve."

* * *

Angeal and Genesis arrived with Lazard in Junon two days before the summit was scheduled to occur. Their early arrival gave Lazard time to prepare. He explained to his companions that his half-brother would likely do everything he could to discredit him and the SOLDIER department during this meeting, so it was essential that he have all department statistics and records in order for the meeting.

When they arrived in the VIP suite of the fancy hotel Lazard was staying at, Angeal immediately did a security sweep and Genesis helped him. After inspecting the suite from one corner to the other, they agreed it was safe and Lazard began to unpack.

"I requested two bedrooms," Lazard said with a frown upon realizing the lack of a secondary room. He shook his head and pulled out his phone. "I'll call the desk and have them book a proper suite for us."

"That isn't necessary, Director." Angeal looked around the living area of the fancy suite and a hint of a wry smirk curved his mouth. "This room alone is larger than the entire house I grew up in. Genesis and I can sleep in here."

Lazard frowned. "In the living room?"

"The couch and the recliner will suffice," Angeal said with a nod. He raised his brows at Genesis. "Won't they?"

Genesis sighed and shrugged fluidly. "Considering some of the bedding choices we've had over this past year, I concur this is nearly a palace. Pillows would be a nice addition, though."

"Of course," Lazard agreed, humbled. He looked up at Angeal's towering form thoughtfully. "I forget sometimes what it was like to live in poverty. It seems you don't share that problem, Hewley."

Angeal shook his head and lowered his gaze. "No, but some of the happiest years in my life happened while I was dirt poor. I don't mind remembering them."

Genesis' expression softened a little at his words and the redhead looked away, delving into his own memories of the past.

* * *

After settling in, Lazard got his laptop case out and set it on the dining table. Angeal expected him to get started immediately on his preparations for the summit, but instead he went into his bedroom, changed into a pair of white and blue swimming trunks and came out with a towel draped over his shoulders. He picked up his computer case, secured his VIP identification around his neck and gave his Soldier escorts a level, expectant look.

"Coming?"

Angeal exchanged a puzzled look with Genesis. "Sir?"

"Socializing with the other participants of this summit is part of the politics, no matter how unpleasant it may be. Department executives generally gather around the pool for cocktails and relaxation in the evenings, so that we can at least pretend to have civil discourse between meetings. I'll of course be going over my preparations while we're there, but it's important that I at least greet whomever may be out there."

"Including Rufus?" Genesis had a wicked gleam in his eye.

Lazard wasn't ruffled. "Yes, even Rufus. Personal discord doesn't belong in a social setting like this, anymore than it belongs at the meeting table."

Angeal nodded with approval. "I think that's a good attitude to have, Director."

"We'll see how long it lasts," Genesis muttered under his breath.

Lazard pretended not to hear. "Well, you should both change. We can't stand here talking about the finer points of social etiquette all evening."

Genesis and Angeal looked at one another in confusion. "Is there a dress code for the swimming pool area?" Angeal asked. The only clothing articles he'd brought with him were a pair of pajama pants, a couple changes of underwear and regulation uniform clothing. The frown on Genesis' face suggested he'd packed in much the same way.

"No, but if you both go in your uniform garb, it will give the impression that I'm insecure. That's unacceptable. The image I want to give off is one of confidence and self-assurance; not mistrust and insecurity. Gentlemen, tonight we mingle."

"Sir," Angeal said politely, "we didn't come expecting to go swimming. Genesis and I packed for security management, not leisure."

Lazard seemed a bit put out at first, but he shrugged. "That's all right. This hotel has a gift store that carries clothing. The two of you can go there and pick out some swimmers. Use your keycard to charge it to my bill and meet me at the rooftop pool when you've changed. It's my treat."

The two Soldiers traded looks of covert frustration, but their parole status didn't allow for disobedience. Even Genesis refrained from arguing.

* * *

"I almost hope there _is_ a terrorist attack on this summit," grumbled Genesis as he browsed through the swimsuit section. The hotel's "gift shop" was more like a department store, with a full line of clothing—including formal wear.

Beside him, Angeal patiently searched through the larger sizes. "Why would you want something like that?"

Genesis shrugged. "Because it would force the company to realize the error in treating a pair of highly trained Soldiers like errand boys, that's why. Lazard is pimping us out, Angeal. Remember?"

Angeal stopped browsing and gave Genesis a frowning look. "I think you're being a little dramatic. Yes, there's an ulterior motive behind our being sent with him to this event, but security is part of that. Even without our weapons, we could put a stop to any potential threat to Lazard's safety faster than any regular MP. You know that."

"That's the least of the reasons they sent us," insisted Genesis. "If the president actually thought there could be a threat at this summit, he would have authorized us to have our swords. Tell yourself otherwise if it makes you feel better, though."

Angeal sighed and shook his head, giving up on the argument. He compressed his lips a few moments later and he voiced a complaint of his own. "I'm not seeing anything in my size. I may have no choice but to wear something I brought with me. I have some casual pants and a shirt in my bag upstairs—"

"Oh, no you don't." Genesis grabbed him by the harness of his body armor as Angeal started to turn and go. "I'm not going to be the only one of the two of us trussed up like a poolside yuppie. Go claim a dressing room and _I'll_ find and bring you something to try on."

Angeal gave him an uncertain look. "You know my size?"

The redhead returned his look with an impatient one of his own. "If you don't think I've memorized every measurement of your body by now, you don't know me very well. Now go, and leave this to me."

Angeal managed a little smile. "Sometimes I forget about your anal retentive attention to detail."

* * *

Genesis selected three different briefs for himself to try on, but the only things he could find in Angeal's size were a pair of board shorts and a thong—the kind of thong that bodybuilders wore when they oiled up for competitions or posed for calendars. A sly grin curved his lips as Genesis took the black thong off the rack and studied it. His gaze went to the men's dressing room a few yards away and he came up with an idea.

"I should get at least _some_ entertainment out of this nightmare," he whispered.

He took his findings to the dressing room and began searching the stalls for his companion. He almost called out for him, but he recognized Angeal's clothes draped over the top of one of the privacy doors and he smirked as he approached. He snatched the garments quickly, inwardly thanking his lover for being so inadvertently cooperative with his plans.

"Hey," protested Angeal—evidently noticing that someone outside the stall nabbed his clothes, leaving only his boots and socks at his disposal.

Genesis clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "One should have more sense than to leave his clothing hanging out where anyone could walk by and take it."

"I didn't think that was a danger, in a place like this," Angeal responded dryly. "Put my clothes back, Genesis."

Instead of complying, the redhead opened the empty stall behind him and set the bundle of clothes on the bench inside—which was what Angeal should have had the sense to do in his own dressing stall. "In a moment. I found something for you to try on, Angeal. Here."

He tossed the thong over the top of the privacy door and waited with a grin for the expected reaction. He wasn't disappointed.

"I'm _not_ wearing this."

Genesis told a little white lie. "You may have no choice. Everything else is too small."

"Are you sure?" Angeal sounded very put out. "Genesis...I can't wear this in public. It barely covers anything and I might as well be naked!"

The redhead cleared his throat to cover a snicker he couldn't quite hold back. "Naked works for me."

"Be serious."

Genesis tempered his amusement with difficulty. "Why don't you just put it on and see what it looks like, before you make a snap judgment? It might not be as bad as you think."

"Trust me, it's as bad as I think."

Genesis leaned against the wall space behind him, between two other stalls. "Well, I'm not giving your clothes back until you at least try it on. I can be the judge of whether it's too small or whether you're just being a prude."

Angeal heaved a sigh. "No man in his right mind would _need_ to be a prude, to see how disturbingly small this thing is."

"Put it on. Time isn't standing still, you know. Lazard is expecting us and I know you wouldn't want to insult him by making him wait all night."

"You're really going to make me try this thing on?"

Genesis shrugged. "Be a little adventurous, for a change. If nothing else, you can honestly say you gave it a shot. I promise, if it doesn't hide your...endowments...to satisfaction, I'll have another look and you can wear your regular clothes if I fail to find an alternative. Just stop whining and put it on."

"I can't believe I'm about to wear butt-floss," muttered Angeal.

Genesis compressed his lips to control a smile. He listened to Angeal's soft grunts as the big man pulled on the skimpy thong and he waited for him to finish.

"Okay...it's on. Happy now?" Angeal's voice sounded distinctly uncomfortable.

Genesis pushed on the door. "Open up and let me have a look."

"I'm not opening this door for everyone to see," insisted Angeal stubbornly.

Genesis rolled his eyes. "Then let me come in there with you. I'll believe you're wearing it when I see it myself."

"Why are you doing this to me?" sighed Angeal, but there was a "click" as the door was unlocked.

Genesis almost felt sorry for him, but it didn't deter him from having his fun. He opened the door wide enough to squeeze into the stall with Angeal and he looked him up and down with appreciation. "You really do blush pretty, Angeal."

Genesis smirked at the high color in the taller man's cheeks and he leisurely scanned his toned, muscular body with intrigued eyes. Unlike some of those bodybuilders who abused steroids to get their shape, Angeal's package scaled properly with his powerful frame. Genesis could personally testify that the impressive bulge precariously concealed beneath the triangle of spandex was as generous in size as it appeared..._more_ so, when woken up, in fact. With a gloved finger, he traced the fine dusting of dark hair that made up the treasure trail leading from beneath Angeal's belly button to his barely concealed groin.

"Mmm, yes...I see what you mean," Genesis conceded in a sultry murmur. "If you were to go out in this, I think I'd have to fight off all manner of admirers. The sight of you in this could very well endanger the lives of any guests that suffer heart conditions, Hewley."

Angeal averted his gaze and his face was fairly glowing pink. "Can you _please_ find me something else or return my clothes, Gen?"

Genesis smiled in a predatory manner, thoroughly enjoying himself. He stroked his hands possessively over the hard planes, bulges and angles of Angeal's gorgeous body and he took a moment to gently squeeze his nipples, making them harden. He spoke in a low whisper, mindful of the fact that someone else could come in to try something on and overhear. "In a moment. You have to give me the chance to fantasize a little, Angeal."

"Fantasize about _what_?" challenged the big man in an equally soft whisper, "Me suffering the worst wedgie I've ever had in my life? You're a sadist."

Genesis' shoulders trembled with silent laughter and he continued fondling and tweaking Angeal's pebbled nipples. He leaned closer and pressed light, teasing kisses on the taller man's throat and clavicle.

"I'd love to oil your body up while you're wearing this," he purred. "We could pretend to have a photo shoot for one of those muscle magazines—followed by a hot, gay porn session." He licked the column of Angeal's throat and he smirked when the other man's breath caught.

"Genesis," whispered Angeal in a husky, warning tone, "You're making the situation worse."

The redhead glanced down and took his lower lip between his teeth when he saw the southern exposure going on. The thong could barely contain his groin to begin with...it had no chance against an erection.

"Some might argue that I'm making the situation...better." Genesis caught Angeal's lower lip between his teeth and tugged gently on it. His hands moved lower and suddenly, Angeal lost the capacity to argue anymore.

* * *

After experiencing his first public sexual encounter ever, Angeal sternly reminded his companion that he still needed a _real_ pair of trunks, and Genesis grudgingly cooperated. He left the dressing room to procure the item, and Angeal sighed with relief as he tried it on.

"This is more like it." Angeal studied the blue, abstract-patterned board shorts Genesis tossed over the door for him and he felt a sense of relief.

"Hmph, I thought you'd approve," sighed Genesis, "you ninny."

Angeal smiled and he tried on the swimmers. He nodded in approval at the fit and then he changed out of them and back into his clothes—which Genesis had thankfully returned to him. He left the dressing room and waited for his companion to come out. Together, they went to the cashier and paid for the swimsuits with their copy of the keycard to Lazard's suite. They returned to the suite to change and when Angeal saw what Genesis had chosen for himself, he was sorely tempted to make use of the Director's bed and repay the redhead for his earlier actions—with interest. The briefs were Gen's signature colors of black and red they looked great on him.

"Well, lets go mingle," sighed Genesis without any real enthusiasm. He draped his towel around his shoulders and started for the door.

Angeal couldn't have said what possessed him to do it, but he reached out on impulse and hooked a finger under the elastic of Gen's briefs as he passed by. He released it immediately to let it snap against the redhead's skin and he gave him a half-hearted shrug of apology when he stopped and stared at him.

"Payback," Angeal excused, "for the thong."

A slow, wry smile curved Genesis' lips. "Oh? Well then, it's a good thing I purchased that thong while your back was turned. You're definitely wearing it again."

Angeal frowned. "Why would you buy that thing?"

Gen's sly little smile didn't fade. "It's a gift."

Angeal shut his eyes and shook his head. "You realize a gift is generally something you know the other person wants, don't you?"

Genesis patted him on the butt. "I didn't say it was for _you_, did I? My birthday is approaching and your gift to me is going to be to wear that thong, allow me to coat your body liberally with flavored oil and then lick it off of you."

Angeal opened his eyes and watched him go to the door. He found it difficult to resist a grin despite his dread over the thought of wearing that thong again.

* * *

Lazard was satisfied when Angeal and Genesis arrived at the pool and approached the chase lounge he was relaxing in. They both looked good in their new swimmers and seeing as they were trained SOLDIER operatives, they had the kind of build that attracted positive attention—and not just from women. Lazard noticed how uncomfortable Angeal looked with the admiring stares he was getting and he almost felt pity for him. Hewley was a country boy, humble and dedicated to his honor as a Soldier. He wasn't the sort of man to seek attention from others and by the looks of things, he was bound to get plenty before the night was through...whether he wanted it or not.

"Good of you to join me," Lazard said, glancing briefly at the document displayed on his laptop screen. "I'm almost finished here, for now. When I'm done, I'll introduce you both to some of my colleagues."

He motioned to a waiter passing by with a tray full of cocktails. "Please," he invited his two companions, "have some. There's no reason you two can't enjoy some beverages, while we're here."

He selected a blue tropical drink for himself and he watched with covert amusement as poor Angeal stared in confusion at the selection of cocktails. Genesis came to his rescue, of course. The redhead picked up a simple rum and soda, handed it to Angeal, then selected a Bloody Mary for himself. Angeal sipped his drink cautiously and when he evidently found it to his liking, he drank deeper.

The pop music playing in the background set a light mood and Lazard resumed his work, sipping at his drink every few minutes. It seemed some of his associates weren't willing to wait for him to give introductions. The overweight, bumbling head of the Space program noticed that Lazard was now in the company of two unique Soldiers and he took it upon himself to come around from the other side of the pool and introduce himself.

"Well, you must be Rhapsodos and Hewley," guessed Palmer. He set his mug of tea down on the end table by Lazard and offered his hand to the swordsmen. "Palmer. I run ShinRa's space program."

"Good to meet you, Sir," Angeal said politely, shaking his pudgy hand.

Lazard gave Genesis a warning look when he saw the subtle curl of disgust on the redhead's lips. He gave the director a look that said he'd never forgive him for this and he shook Palmer's hand with barely veiled reluctance. "Pleasure."

Palmer nodded, his eyes going between Genesis and Angeal with interest. "So which one of you is Rhapsodos?"

"That would be me," answered Genesis coolly.

The fat man looked genuinely surprised. "Really?" He sized Genesis' graceful swimmer's build up and then looked at Angeal's substantially heavier build. "I thought for sure it must be _this_ lad, after I heard about Banora."

Palmer demonstrated unbelievable gall by poking Angeal appraisingly in his rippling abdomen. "Now _this_ fellow could do some damage!"

Genesis' eyes flashed dangerously and Lazard swore to himself and started to put his laptop aside, foreseeing trouble.

"_Excuse me,_" snapped Genesis, "but who do you think you—"

"Palmer," interjected Lazard quickly, somehow getting out of his chair without scrambling like a crab, "have you seen the buffet inside? I understand they're serving doorbull oysters, this year."

Palmer lost all interest in the Soldiers and he smacked his lips and looked around at the pool club building. "Really?"

Lazard nodded solemnly, keeping a straight face. "You may want to hurry and get your share, while supplies last."

"Good idea! See you around, boys!" Just like that, the portly man was off and moving as quickly as his heavy stature would allow, without running outright.

"Doorbull 'oysters'?" Genesis queried with a curious frown.

"The creature's testicles," explained Lazard. "Marinated and tenderized. Some consider it a delicacy."

Both Soldiers appeared openly disgusted and Lazard was hard-put not to chuckle at their expense. "Not to worry...you two aren't expected to eat them, and I doubt Palmer will be leaving any behind to begin with."

"If the putrid fatass touches Angeal like that again, he'll be dining on his _own_ testicles," promised Genesis grimly.

Lazard blinked at him. Yes, Palmer's crude invasion of Angeal's personal space was uncalled for and as the big man's oldest friend, it was no surprise that Genesis was offended on his behalf. His reaction, however, was more like that of a jealous lover. Comprehension dawned for Lazard as he watched Angeal give Genesis a pacifying pat on the shoulder and a soft, warning look.

Before Lazard could fully comprehend what he was seeing between the two men, a familiar and very unwelcome sight greeted him from the right. Scarlet was approaching, on the arm of his half-brother, Rufus. The vice president wore a pair of black and white swimming shorts—a simple yet attractive choice on him. Scarlet's swimwear was far more elaborate. The administrator of Weapons Development was wearing her platinum hair down and it fell in waves around her shoulders. She wore a fashionable, risqué red bathing suit that technically counted as a one-piece, except most of it was composed of a transparent mesh. The opaque parts cleverly hid her nipples and loins from view, in the shape of tulips. The sides of the bathing suit were split open and connected by interweaving gold chains. She wore a pair of red wedge sandals with the suit and she reminded Lazard of someone competing in the swimsuit category of a beauty contest.

Pity she was such a powerhungry bitch. He would have considered her a beauty, if it weren't for her personality. Lazard nodded politely at his brother, noticing the ever-present Turks a short distance away. He kissed Scarlet's offered hand, as the social occasion warranted for a lady—even when the title didn't actually apply.

"Rufus. Scarlet. I see you made it early too."

"Considering I've been living here and I arranged this event, it shouldn't surprise you," Rufus said coolly. Eyes that were nearly identical to Lazard's in color and shape sized him up with subtle disdain. "I see you've brought your pet Soldiers with you. I hope those tracking devices around their ankles are waterproof, Director."

Before any of the could comment, Scarlet eyed the two attractive Soldiers up and down and announced her thoughts aloud, effectively distracting them from their righteous indignation over Rufus' insulting comment.

"Aren't you two just...delicious."

Whatever Genesis had been about to say to Rufus died on his lips, and he stared at Scarlet with something resembling shock. Lazard felt a rush of ironic gratitude for the ambitious woman, because her comment seemed to have frozen Genesis' razor-sharp tongue in his mouth and prevented what could turn into a very nasty exchange for everyone.

"Bring your appetites to heel, Scarlet," Rufus advised dryly, "I don't think Lazard is offering his pets up as escorts for the evening."

Genesis couldn't look more offended if he tried and Lazard gave Rufus a severe, warning look. "If you really need to turn this into an exchange of insults, please have the panache to direct them at me, rather than these men. They have fought for our freedom and safety, putting their own lives at risk for this company and this nation. You at least owe them the courtesy of respect for that."

Rufus smiled nastily, his handsome face losing some of its appeal in the utter contempt of his expression. "I hardly think some street rat my father did a favor for has the credentials to lecture me on panache...or tell me whom I owe respect to."

Lazard clenched his jaw and bit back an angry retort. Every time he and Rufus had a disagreement about something, it always came back to his "illegitimate" status. The smug look on Rufus' face told him the VP considered himself the winner of the argument and Lazard allowed him to walk away with Scarlet. He said something to her and she laughed in that raucous way of hers, looking over her shoulder one last time at Angeal and Genesis.

"You handled that well," complimented Angeal.

"That...that flaxen man-eater referred to us as _'delicious'_," fumed Genesis. "Like we were prime beef cuts, here for her amusement."

Lazard could have told him that to Scarlet, that was probably exactly what he and Angeal were. She thought of Soldiers as tools to be used by the company, nothing more. He briefly wondered how many she had seduced or coerced into her bed and he finished off his drink with a grimace.

"Well, that's over with," sighed Lazard, trying to put the unpleasant encounter out of his mind. "I suggest we put it behind us and try to at least _pretend_ to enjoy the rest of the evening."

"I don't take kindly to being treated like livestock," Genesis said in a coldly dignified tone. "I think you should tell your people not to take further liberties with us. I don't _care_ how curious they are about us or what they've heard, Director. We aren't your exotic pets and the next time some idiot treats us as such, I'll give them a _reason_ to stare."

Lazard was about to ask him exactly what that meant, but then he saw the raven wing begin to emerge from Genesis' back and he felt a rash of horror at the thought of people's reactions to the sight. Lazard looked around warily to be sure nobody saw the mutation that was beginning to manifest.

"No...Genesis _please_, put that away. Angeal, talk to him."

"Genesis," murmured Angeal obligingly, evidently on the same page as Lazard, "showing this entire crowd what we are isn't the way to make people stop staring at us. Don't make a scene."

Genesis pressed his lips together and the wing withdrew again, leaving his back smooth and free of any evidence of its existence. He glanced at his companion and then fixated Lazard with a chilly aqua glare. "Consider yourself fortunate, Director. Angeal has far more patience than I do. I'll restrain myself for now, but I swear to Minerva, the next fool that lays an improper hand on us or treats us as pets will be getting a _grand_ display. Now if you'll excuse me, I feel the need to boil myself alive for a while."

Seemingly satisfied that he'd gotten his message through, Genesis turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Angeal and Lazard staring after him. He went straight for one of the deluxe hot tubs lining the outer edges of the rooftop pool and he eased himself into an unoccupied one, sipping his drink as he went.

"I think he's hot enough under the collar as it is," sighed Lazard. He looked up at Angeal's stoic visage and he noticed the way he was watching Genesis. It shouldn't really surprise him, he supposed. The two of them had been through a lot together and it made a certain kind of sense that their friendship evolved into something deeper. He'd always thought of Angeal as almost asexual, though. The man had never shown an interest in dating at all, and given his burly masculinity, Lazard always assumed he'd go for women, if he went for anyone at all.

"Go and talk to him," suggested Lazard. "The two of you should try to relax, for the rest of the night. I'll be fine without your company."

Angeal gave him a quietly grateful nod and he went to join his old friend in the hot tub. Lazard watched him go and he sighed, contemplating all the changes that had occurred over the past year. He'd gone from plotting to bring the company down to fighting with all his might to keep the SOLDIER department from disbanding. He watched Angeal and Genesis speak to each other in the hottub and he saw Angeal smile warmly at something Genesis said. At that moment, watching the comradery between the two of them and the way Genesis' walls seemed to come down for Angeal, Lazard had his answer.

He came to the realization that SOLDIER was the only family he really had. They watched out for each other and in some cases, they watched out for him—even when he didn't deserve such loyalty. Likewise, he tried to watch out for them as well. He only hoped his efforts would be enough. Rufus resented the fact that their father gave Lazard a staff job at all, let alone one so important as overseeing the most powerful military branch in the organization. Scarlet seemed to back Rufus in everything, though the two of them often insulted each other with abandon.

"What a strange match," mused Lazard, looking across the pool at his younger half-brother and the blond woman at his side. Still, he had to give Scarlet credit for giving Rufus the same shit he so often shoveled out at everyone else. It was difficult to say whether there was anything sexual between them, but they certainly seemed to work well together—even when they disagreed.

Lazard noticed a beautiful young woman with red-gold hair watching him from across the pool, several feet away from Rufus. She wore a forest green bikini and her fair-complexioned body was toned and curved in all the right places. He met her eyes as he motioned a waiter over to him and he lifted his cocktail in greeting to her, smiling. She smiled back and lifted the martini in her hand. Thinking he had every right to seek out some pleasant female company, Lazard patted the chase lounge next to his invitingly and gave her a questioning look. She took her feet out of the water with a smile and as she circled around the pool to join him, he relaxed.

* * *

"Maybe you should slow down a little," suggested Angeal when Genesis started on his third cocktail. "If you keep tossing those back that way, your senses are going to get dulled."

"That's the point," said Genesis after a couple of swallows. "This place is a nightmare for a sober man. Admit it."

"It's only a 'nightmare' for us because of our recent history," reminded Angeal. He finished his first drink and set it near the edge of the hot tub. "Think of this as part of the penance and it's more bearable."

"I'd rather be stuck in purgatory," muttered Genesis.

Angeal was about to comment on that, when a familiar Turk with fair skin, fiery red, spiky hair and crimson, crescent-shaped tattoos over his cheekbones approached. Angeal looked up at Reno to find that he was, as always, in the company of his taller, bald partner.

"Yo, guys. Mind if we join ya?"

Genesis made a careless gesture at nothing. "Be my guest. I'm just getting drunk."

"Ain't nothing wrong with that," sighed Reno as he sank into the heated water. He wore a pair of plain red trunks and his partner Rude wore board shorts with black and white patterns on them.

The bald man got in beside his partner and he lifted his ever-present shades up to rest on his head. Rude was a man of few words, but Angeal could see the unspoken question in his dark eyes as he studied the two of them and exchanged a look with his partner.

"We aren't permitted to talk about the incident, if that's what you want to ask about," said Angeal. "It's a condition of our probation."

Rude nodded in understanding and Reno sucked his teeth in thought. The redheaded Turk looked like he was about to say something, but he got distracted by a group of three bikini-clad women walking by. He watched them with obvious interest and he winked at the one in the middle when she glanced his way.

"Man, get a load of the chicks at this party!" Reno reminded Angeal of a kid in a candy store as he looked around at the various women enjoying the poolside entertainment. As he turned his head, Angeal noticed that he seemed to be letting the hair in the back grow into a tail.

"Go talk to one of them," encouraged Rude. "See if you can get one for me, too."

"Right," agreed Reno. "I'm on it. Uh, good to see you guys again, yo. Duty calls for the booty call, ya know?"

No, Angeal _didn't _know, but he nodded politely anyhow. The world of pickup artists was a strange thing to him...one that he was happy not to be a part of. Guys like Reno and Zack were perfectly at home in that world, though. He decided to try and engage Rude in some conversation, though he wasn't much better at socializing than the bald Turk.

"Have you been to one of these summits before?"

Rude nodded. "Once. Last year" He twisted a little in his seat and looked around for Rufus. Seeing him on the other side of the pool, he spoke in a low voice. "Watch out for our bosses. You may have noticed they don't get along."

"No, really?" Genesis said sarcastically. He got the attention of a passing waitress and retrieved a fresh cocktail from her.

Rude didn't seem offended, but then, he was a very monotone person and difficult to read. "Tseng told me the president always sends someone with them both to these summits, to make sure nothing gets out of hand. Apparently, they got into a fistfight the year before last."

"Then why doesn't the president get off his substantial ass and come to these summits himself, if his boys can't play together nicely?"

Either Rude already knew that Rufus and Lazard were half-brothers, or he didn't get the reference. His returning comment suggested the latter. "President Shinra expects his son to learn how to handle these things without him. That's all I know."

It made sense, because Rufus was going to be the next president of ShinRa inc and naturally, his father would want to prepare him for his leadership role. The three of them talked about other things while Reno was off trying to procure some female company for the night.

* * *

"I think I've...*hic*...had enough."

Angeal helped Genesis out of the hot tub and supported him when he stumbled. "You couldn't have come to that conclusion two drinks ago?"

"I have an excushe," slurred Genesis. "The fat shlob, the shnooty VP and his blond whore made me do it."

"Okay, Genesis," Angeal agreed patiently, biting back a smile of amusement. "It's everyone else's fault you decided to throw back nearly ten drinks. It will be their fault in the morning too, when you wake up with a hangover."

Genesis nodded and stumbled against him again. "That'sh right. I need coffee...*hic*."

"I'll make some for you when we get back to the suite," promised Angeal, remembering that he'd seen a coffee machine in the kitchenette. "Let's just get you safely there, first. I just need to tell Lazard we're going back in."

Most of the guests had retired to their rooms by now and Reno had indeed succeeded in convincing a couple of girls to join him and Rude in their room. Thankfully, Palmer left early and Rufus and Scarlet only stayed for about an hour afterwards. Only Lazard remained of all the summit participants, and when he located the SOLDIER director, Angeal could see why. Lazard was deep in conversation with an attractive redhead, who had scooted her chase lounge close to his and was tracing patterns on his bare arm as she talked to him.

"Steady, Gen," advised Angeal.

He led Genesis to a chair near the entrance into the building and he helped him into it before approaching Lazard. H e had to clear his throat to get the blond man's attention. Lazard looked up and his flirty smile faded a bit into something more reserved and polite.

"Yes, Agent Hewley?"

"Sorry to disturb you," apologized Angeal, "But we're going to retire to the suite and I wanted to clear it with you. There seems to be plenty of security here."

"It will be fine. Go on without me." Lazard waved it away casually; appearing more relaxed than Angeal had ever seen him before. The woman keeping him company leaned toward him and whispered something into his ear that made him smile. Lazard looked up at Angeal again. "Why don't one you take the bedroom tonight...or both of you, if you prefer. I'll be spending my evening in another suite and I'll see you in the morning."

Angeal glanced at the woman, then at Lazard's laptop and he tried to think of a way to voice his concerns delicately. "Director, I feel obligated to ask permission to take your computer back to the suite with me...for security purposes. I also need your companion's name and room number, if you don't mind."

Lazard looked slightly confused for a moment, but then the light went on and his common sense kicked in to override his male urges. "Oh, of course."

He retrieved a pad of paper and a pen from his laptop bag and he had the girl write the required information down in it, before sticking it back in and securing his computer inside.

"Here. I'll see you in the morning, Angeal."

The big man nodded and took the container from his boss. He returned to Genesis to find his head nodding in a telling way. He gently nudged the redhead to wake him from his stupor and he helped him up again.

* * *

Genesis fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Angeal chuckled at him, unused to seeing the man in such an inebriated state. He pulled off Gen's briefs and put them in the bathroom until morning. He removed his own swimmers and dropped them on top of Genesis' before joining the redhead in the king-sized luxurious bed. He kissed Genesis on the temple as he spooned him and he sighed, wondering if he'd be able to sleep in a bed like this. Now that he thought of it, this was probably the first time he'd ever slept in anything larger than a twin-sized bed, and never on a mattress this comfortable.

Angeal nodded off before he knew it. It seemed like he'd only been asleep for an hour when a panicked yell frightened him out of the dreams that were forming in his mind. Genesis was sitting straight up in the bed, frantically wiping at his naked body as if he had bugs crawling all over him.

"Gen?" Angeal sat up tried to grab his companion, confused and worried by his behavior. He understood what Genesis thought he was wiping at a moment later, and his throat tightened with the knowledge.

"It's all over me," gasped the redhead. "I'm stained...the blood...my parents blood...I can't wash it off!"

It occurred to Angeal that Genesis wasn't awake...not truly. He took him by the shoulders and called his name urgently, gently shaking him. The wide, staring aqua eyes glowed in the dark with Mako and his skin felt clammy to the touch. It was probably the most startling thing Angeal had ever seen—though he'd heard of people having "night terrors" before. Until now, he didn't really believe they happened.

"Genesis!" He forced himself to calm down and he gentled his voice. "You're safe. It's over now. We aren't in Banora."

"An...geal?"

The sob was so out of character, it threatened to tear the big man's heart in two. He nodded and he traced the fine-boned face of his lover, stifling his own anxiety so as not to feed his. "That's right. Just calm down, Genesis. You don't have any blood on you."

The eyes were still wild and unfocused, but Genesis allowed him to draw him into a comforting embrace and his cries stopped. He was trembling all over and Angeal held him tighter, rubbing his back. He murmured against his hair, reassuring him over and over again that he was safe in bed and it was just a nightmare.

"I'm...going to hell."

Angeal shook his head. He personally didn't believe in religious philosophy involving eternal punishment or eternal joy in the afterlife, but he knew Genesis believed some of it. "No, you aren't. You don't deserve hell, Genesis."

"How would you know?" demanded the traumatized redhead. He was still half-drunk and that didn't help matters.

Angeal cupped Genesis' jaw and urged him to look at him. He spoke to him as if he were a child, because he could see the lack of coherent thought in those tormented, glistening eyes. "I know because I've seen the good you can do, Gen. You know you did wrong and you're trying to atone for that. You aren't going to hell, okay?"

Genesis swallowed, still panting softly. "You're sure?"

Angeal nodded again and forced a reassuring little smile, kissing him softly on his dry, parted lips. "I'm sure. Come on...lay down with me and close your eyes. I'll be right by your side and you'll feel better in the morning."

Genesis nodded convulsively and allowed Angeal to guide him back down. He rolled to face Angeal and he snuggled against the bigger man's body as Angeal drew the covers up over both of them and stroked his back. It was a little disorienting, to see Genesis so openly vulnerable. Angeal held him close and whispered reassurances to him until Gen's breathing was deep and even with sleep. Angeal pulled back a little to study his lover's face in the moonlight and he was assured that Genesis had fallen asleep again by his relaxed expression.

Kissing his slack mouth once more, Angeal shut his eyes and waited for sleep to return to him as well.

* * *

Genesis awoke the next morning to a pounding headache—just as Angeal had predicted. He groaned and rolled clumsily out of the bed. He saw a bathrobe draped over the armchair next to the bed and he assumed it was meant for him. He snatched it up, put it on and tied it shut before staggering out of the bedroom. He stopped at the threshold of the door and looked back over his shoulder into the bedroom, wondering why he'd woken up there.

"Angeal?"

The big man's voice came out of the kitchenette. "Yes?"

"Where's the director and why did I wake up in his bed?"

"Lazard spent the night in someone else's suite," explained Angeal. "I've got her room number and I'll call to check on him, if we don't hear something in an hour. Come have some coffee. I picked up some aspirin from the gift shop downstairs."

Genesis walked into the kitchenette and he tried to appear dignified. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror behind the counter and he grimaced. So much for dignity. His hair looked like a mop and even from the distance, he could tell his eyes were bloodshot. Angeal set a steaming cup of coffee before him on the bar as he had a seat and Genesis muttered his thanks. He saw the two tablets waiting on a napkin by the coffee cup and he picked them up and popped them into his mouth before having a drink of coffee.

"Hot," he complained a moment later, after scalding his tongue. He spit the pills and the mouthful of coffee out into his palm and he blushed with humiliation as his companion looked at him. Angeal had just procured a bottle of water from the mini fridge and he stood there with a patient look on his face, offering it to him.

"It's fresh coffee," Angeal said dryly, "that's why I was getting the water for you. Are you all right?"

Genesis nodded and put the pills into his mouth again, before taking the bottled water from Angeal's outstretched hand and drinking from it. He sighed as he finished and he set the water back onto the bar.

"I think I drank away some of my IQ points last night."

Angeal chuckled and wiped up the mess on the bar. He smelled good and Genesis leaned toward him a little, appreciating the scent coming from his damp, recently washed hair. Angeal met his gaze and he sobered, searching for something in his eyes.

"How much do you remember from last night, Gen?"

"I remember everything up to the point where Reno and Rude joined us in the hot tub," answered the redhead. He took a cautious sip of his coffee before finishing with a shake of his head. "That's it." He looked at Angeal with a frown. "Goddess...tell me I didn't say something absurd."

Angeal smirked and lowered his gaze. "Nothing worse than your usual snarks. You were just tipsy and I had to help you to bed. It wasn't that bad."

Genesis tilted his head and regarded him suspiciously when the big man cast a quick, fond glance his way before turning to pour some coffee for himself. "Are you telling me the truth, Angeal?"

Angeal finished pouring his drink and he turned around. "Yes. You didn't say anything stupid, Gen. Don't worry."

Genesis relaxed. "I should probably thank you, for getting my ass to bed and for nursing my hangover this morning."

Angeal shrugged. "You'd do the same for me."

Genesis didn't deny it.

If he'd had the ability to read Angeal's mind, he would have known the big man really had told him the truth as far as he was concerned. Angeal didn't find anything silly or stupid about the things Genesis had blurted when he awoke with his night terror.

* * *

Lazard awoke to the interesting experience of having a complete stranger pressed up against his back. He frowned in confusion and cautiously reached down to touch the feminine arm flung around his waist. He lifted his head off the pillow and twisted on the bed carefully, dreading what he might find but too curious to see who he'd woken up with. All he could see at first was a mass of reddish-blond hair. He cautiously lifted it with one hand and when he saw the face of the pretty young woman beneath it, he recognized her from the night before. With that recognition came a recollection of some of the things they'd done the night before, and he couldn't decide whether to grin or groan.

"Oh."

* * *

-To be continued


	10. Chapter 10

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter ten: Intervention

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note:_**_ Possible trigger warning for people who have suffered depression or dealt with a loved one suffering depression._

* * *

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.

* * *

While Angeal and Genesis were busy impressing the suits and trying to hold SOLDIER together, Zack did his best to keep an eye on Sephiroth without stalking him. When he couldn't keep a physical eye on him, he checked in on him with phone calls. The man seemed to get more moody and withdrawn each day. Worse still, he showed no ambition to return to active duty. As Zack's concern grew, his concentration suffered further and his attempts at subtlety failed. Sephiroth finally had enough of it and he cornered Zack in the locker room after training one morning.

"I know what you're doing."

Zack tried hard to look ignorant. "What...getting dressed?"

Sephiroth smirked humorlessly and shook his head. "You're spying on me. Angeal put you up to it, no doubt."

"N-no! He's got other things to worry about."

"Which is why he assigned you to do it for him," reasoned the general. "You've apparently forgotten that your mentor and I have known one another longer than you have. It's all right, Zackary. I'm not angry."

"Er...you aren't?"

Sephiroth shook his head and lowered his eyes. "No. Your doubts are warranted, after the...incident...at the reactor. I stepped down and handed in my blade for a reason. I know my limits and when I feel I'm ready, I'll resume my duties to this department."

Zack was hesitantly relieved. He started to speak, but a 2nd walked past and he waited until he was out of hearing range. "I guess I make a pretty bad stalker. I only did it because we've been worried about you and you're not the easiest guy to read, you know?"

"Then you shouldn't try. Concentrate on your training and don't worry about me. Your concern is appreciated, but un-necessary." He turned away and finished getting dressed. "Things aren't always simple, Zack. There are always layers. Remember that."

Zack cocked his head inquisitively. "Sure, Seph. I'm just glad you're feeling better."

Sephiroth nodded and took his leave. Zack finished dressing after he'd gone and he began to whistle a tune as he finished up and closed his locker, finally feeling like he could slack off and relax a little. His phone went off and he tossed it lightly into the air before catching it and flipping it open. "Zack, here."

"Hey, you," Cissnei's voice said, "I told you I'd call you back."

Zack smiled and straddled the bench near his locker. "Yeah, you did. Hey, are you free tonight?"

"Really?" Cissnei sounded warily optimistic. "Are you telling me you _actually_ have some free time? It seems like our schedules never line up."

Zack laughed. "Uh-huh. So how about it? You and me, wherever you want to go and whatever you want to do. I've been saving up for it, so money isn't a problem unless you want to go to one of those VIP places on the upper plate."

"I don't need anything fancy," insisted the Turk girl. "I'm just happy spending time with you. We could go and see a movie, if you want."

The idea was a winner, as far as Zack was concerned. "I'd love to do that, sweet stuff. How about you call me when you get off work and I'll meet up with you to go pick out a movie?"

"You bet," Cissnei enthused. "I'm looking forward to it, Zack."

"Me too. See you then."

Zack hung up the phone and put it away. He started to replace the phone in his pocket when something occurred to him. Genesis' voice spoke clearly in his mind as he recalled the warning issued by the redhead, before he and Angeal got released from holding.

_"If he starts trying to be nice to you, watch out."_

Sephiroth was being uncommonly friendly with him when they spoke a little while ago—just like he had in Nibelheim, before he withdrew from everyone. His final words of advice replayed in Zack's mind and a chill went through him.

_"Things aren't always simple, Zack. There are always layers. Remember that."_

Maybe the comment was Sephiroth's way of giving a covert farewell to him.

"Oh, no," Zack groaned, his eyes widening with dread. "How could I have _missed_ that?"

A part of him _knew_ why he missed it, though. His attention was divided between worrying about Sephiroth, worrying about Angeal and worrying about what was going to happen to SOLDIER. The people he normally looked to for guidance seemed to be falling apart on him and Zack was going through a trial by fire, jumping into leadership responsibilities with no clear idea of what he was doing.

Dreading the thought of what could happen if he was right about Sephiroth's subtle change in temperament, Zack forgot about everything else and took off in pursuit. Rather than yell out that the general might be off his rocker, he asked people in passing if they'd seen him and which direction he went, if they had.

* * *

"Kunsel! Kunsel, have you seen General Sephiroth?"

The 2nd jumped in alarm when Zack came up behind him and grabbed him by the arm. "Shit...you scared me!"

"Sephiroth," reiterated Zack urgently, "have you seen him?"

"Uh, he passed by the barracks a few minutes ago, I think. He was heading for the elevator. What's going on?"

Not wanting to jump to conclusions just yet, Zack forced himself to calm down and he told his friend a half-truth. "I just need to check in with him about something and I'm afraid I'll miss him if I don't catch up with him fast. Thanks, buddy!"

Zack ran for the elevators, leaving Kunsel watching after him and scratching his head. He dug his phone out of his pocket on the way and he selected Sephiroth's number from his contact list. "Come on...pick up. Don't do this to me, man."

* * *

Sephiroth shut and locked the door behind him as he entered his quarters, before retrieving his phone and looking at the ID on the screen. He shook his head and silenced the device, and then he set it on the bedside table.

"My apologies, Zackary. Nothing further needs to be said."

He reached beneath it and found the sealed weapon case he kept under there. The entity living inside of him stirred, roused from its hypnotically induced sleep by his actions and intentions. Jenova wasn't a bit happy with what she sensed from him as Sephiroth opened the latches on the case and lifted the lid. Sephiroth was a decent shot, but he preferred to rely on his skill with the sword, his moves and perhaps materia if the situation warranted it. He never carried his firearms with him unless he expected heavy opposition on a mission.

"You seem worried," Sephiroth mused aloud.

He lifted the pistol out of the case and he studied it for a moment. Though he'd been issued the gun at age sixteen, it still looked the same as it did when it came out of the weapons shop. Sephiroth took good care of his weapons—even the ones he never used. He opened the ammunition chamber and pondered the magazine lying in the case, waiting to be loaded. A smile curved his lips when Jenova asked him what he thought he was doing. She told him that his friends had lied to him, that she was his true mother and the mortal woman who bore him was merely a tool...an incubator for him to grow inside.

"Then it seems Lucrecia and I have something in common," Sephiroth whispered, his pupils contracting as he struggled to maintain coherent thought. "We're _both_ merely incubators. She bore me and I bear the thing that dares to call itself my mother...a thing that should have never been extracted from the earth to begin with."

Jenova protested, of course. She said that he was a god, that she loved him and she only wanted to protect him, so that he could rule Gaia at her side. Sephiroth pressed the cool metal barrel of the gun against his forehead and he shut his eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure an eternity wandering the cosmos on a dead world with no company could eventually become boring."

He opened his eyes again and lowered the weapon, reaching for the magazine clip in the case. "I see it all clearly now. I'm only the exception to your plan to obliterate mankind because you don't want to be completely alone."

He grimaced as her voice grew more urgent and insistent. The temptation to give in was high. He'd heard Jenova in his mind since childhood and up until he joined the academy and trained with Angeal and Genesis, she was the only friend he had. He didn't hate her anymore than he hated any predator or virus. She was a creature of pure, primal instinct—he understood that much about her. The one he truly hated was the man responsible for putting Jenova in him...the man that took him away from his birth mother and left her to die without hesitation. Hojo didn't have the excuse that he was a primordial being from another world. He couldn't blame the things he'd done on natural instinct or alien needs.

Sephiroth's hand clenched around the magazine clip and his mouth drew into a thin, stressed line. Hojo knew _exactly_ what he was doing when he injected his Lucrecia's pregnant body with the foreign DNA from the Jenova specimen. His belief that Jenova was an Ancient didn't excuse the fact that he deliberately experimented on his wife and his own unborn child. The most disturbing thing to Sephiroth was the knowledge that Lucrecia—for whatever reason—had _let him_. Now, he was doomed to live life with this foreign personality inside of him...always vying for control...always posing a threat to everything he touched.

"I know one way to silence you for good," murmured Sephiroth with resolve as he loaded the clip into the gun. "I will be master of my own fate, or I won't exist at all."

* * *

Zack decided that Sephiroth _better_ be trying to hang himself or jump off a building—never mind the fact that jumping off a building didn't pose much of a danger to a guy with flight capabilities. He'd go bonkers himself if all this stressing was for nothing. He couldn't reach Sephiroth and Zack was sure that by the seventh try, the general surely would have picked up the phone just to tell him to stop calling. He couldn't ask anyone in the building for help, because if he _was_ misreading Sephiroth, he'd get in trouble for sure for spreading rumors that he was suicidal.

Zack stopped before the elevators and he stood there fidgeting and muttering to himself. He had no idea which floor he should search first. He remembered what cops did when they were trying to track down criminals and he decided to try that trick.

"Okay...I'm Sephiroth. I'm a big war hero with hair and eyes that make supermodels jealous. I like smacking subordinates on the back of the head and I hate fun of any kind. My sword's so long you could use it as a pole-vault and I wonder if I'm trying to make up for something with that."

It wasn't working. He tried to imitate Sephiroth's calm, almost hypnotic voice, but he only succeeded in making himself sound like he was straining to take a dump. Zack groaned and he fell back on old habits, because he honestly didn't know who else to turn to. He stood there doing the "pee-pee dance" as he dialed his mentor and waited impatiently for him to pick up.

* * *

"And _I'm_ telling _you_, the Public Safety department needs that money more than SOLDIER!" Heidegger glared at Lazard and the assembly looked on uncomfortably, well aware of the heavy-set, bearded man's penchant for slapping people around when he got frustrated.

Lazard stood calm in the face of Heidegger's anger, though his fair features bore a telling flush that belied his tranquil stance. He didn't flinch away from the bigger man and he gave his two SOLDIER operatives a warning glance when they looked ready to intervene.

"I realize that the standard military has suffered losses in the war with Wutai, but I think the president would agree that the casualties would have been much higher if it weren't for our specialist operatives. SOLDIER is a vital part to the whole of our military might, and if it crumbles, other military branches are sure to follow. I'm not asking for a budget cut in other departments to cover the cost of repairing mine. I'm just requesting that the yearly bonus quota be spent where I think it's most needed."

His argument was perfectly reasonable and Rufus narrowed his eyes in thought. He drummed his fingers on the lacquered surface of the meeting desk and he looked around at the other participants. This summit could last for a full week, before everything was pronounced resolved and drawn to a close. Every unresolved argument meant more meetings, more time negotiating and more money drained from the company's petty cash. Every day they spent here in this expensive motel was another day ShinRa had to pay over a thousand gil per suite to accommodate the participating executives. President Shinra would be particularly displeased over the last part, and he would likely put the blame on Rufus for not being assertive enough to guide the summit speedily through.

Rufus made a decision based on practicality and logic, rather than personal desire. "I agree with Deusericus; the bonus this year should be put into SOLDIER for recruitment, training and enhancement procedures."

Everyone around the table went silent. Turks, investors, executives, attorneys and bookkeepers all stared at Rufus with open surprise. Lazard's pale brows went up as well and he was temporarily flustered by the unexpected support.

"You...agree with me?"

Rufus spread his hands and leaned back in his chair, smirking inwardly at the shock he could see on Scarlet's face out the corner of his eye. She almost looked betrayed and he silently applauded himself for throwing her off guard. "What is there to disagree with? SOLDIER is a valuable asset of ShinRa Incorporated."

He looked at the two Soldiers Lazard had brought with him. They stood by the door, providing admittedly solid security. The burly one was ruggedly handsome and he looked as though he could snap a man like a twig. His auburn-haired companion bore the pretty-boy looks of a rock star and he probably had scores of young women salivating over him—and likely some men, too.

"This company will be mine, one day," Rufus announced coolly. "And that includes SOLDIER and all its operatives. It would be foolish of me to allow the most powerful military unit at my disposal to sink further into disrepair. I'd like to see it built back up again."

Lazard's surprised expression faded into veiled umbrage. Rufus wouldn't have expected anything less and he enjoyed smug satisfaction over putting his half-brother back into his place. Let him believe he ran the SOLDIER department. Though their father had made it crystal clear that he wanted Lazard to remain administrator of SOLDIER, he was careful not to extend too much power and authority to that position. He told Rufus that the key to managing employees was to allow them enough wiggle room to give the illusion of freedom...until the leash ran out of slack. The trick was to give that leash a tug now and then, to remind the employee who was boss. President Shinra also promised that one day soon, Rufus would learn _all_ the secrets of the company.

As he pondered what exactly his father meant by "secrets", someone's PHS started to ring. Evidently, the sound was coming from Sergeant Hewley. The big man dug the communication device out of his pocket and apologized for the noise.

"I thought I had it turned off," Angeal explained. "Excuse me."

He leaned over to mutter something in his red-clad companion's ear and Genesis nodded, leaning against the wall in a casual manner. As Hewley left the room to take the call, Rhapsodos' enhanced aqua gaze scanned lazily over the assembly and people began to shift uncomfortably in their seats—particularly Palmer. Genesis' gaze met the balding executives and Rufus was intrigued and slightly amused to watch Palmer shrink down in his seat, as if trying to hide from that Mako stare.

"Well, onto business," prompted Rufus. He'd succeeded in throwing everyone off and he knew that now was the time to close deals and make proposals, while they were rattled and vulnerable.

* * *

Once he was standing in the hallway outside the boardroom, Angeal answered his phone and he let his trainee know in no uncertain terms that he was not pleased. "Zack, I thought I told you not to call this number before nineteen hundred hours. I was in the middle of a board meeting."

"Yeah, you're welcome," Zack said, apparently missing the tone in Angeal's voice. "Listen, I would have waited but something's come up and I need your advice. It's really important, Ange."

Angeal sighed and squeezed his eyes shut before rubbing the lids with his thumb and forefinger. "What is it?"

"I can't find Sephiroth."

Angeal opened his eyes, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I just said," answered Zack impatiently. "Remember Gen saying I should worry if Sephiroth tries to be nice?"

"Yes."

"Well, he had a little talk with me in the locker room after I finished training and showering, and he was like, super nice...I mean, for Sephiroth. He wasn't sub-zero like usual, is what I'm saying."

Angeal wasn't sure whether to worry or not. "Believe it or not, Sephiroth has been known to crack a smile now and then. He's capable of being pleasant to his friends, too."

"Not like this," insisted Zack. "Or, maybe with you guys but not with me. I'm still a punk in training to him and I _know_ I get on his nerves. Look, I've tried calling him but he's not picking up. People have told me he took the elevator but I'm not sure where I should start looking. That's why I called you. Where would Sephiroth go if he was...uh...you know...planning to do that thing we talked about?"

Angeal waited for the janitor to pass before speaking in a low voice. "Check his quarters first. If he were going to do harm to himself, he wouldn't make a spectacle of it. If he isn't in his quarters, he may be on the roof."

"Got it," answered Zack. "Sleeping quarters, then the roof. Any idea where he'd go if he left HQ to do it?"

Angeal's brows drew down in thought. "I don't think he'd leave to do it, but there's another possibility that Genesis and I have been worrying about. Sephiroth may decide to return to the Nibelheim reactor and finish what he started with Jenova's remains. If you can't locate him in or near Headquarters, check the train station. It's hard for Sephiroth to go anywhere without being recognized, so people are bound to tell you if they've seen him."

"Man, I hope you're wrong about that," sighed Zack. "One trip to Nibelheim was enough for me. Oh well, I'd better get to his quarters and check on him."

"Phone me with the details, once you've confirmed what's going on," instructed Angeal. "And Zack...I'm sure I don't need to say it, but don't tell anyone what's happening until you know there's something to worry about. A false alarm would just raise more questions about Lazard's ability to run the program, and we don't want that."

"Yeah, I already figured as much. I'll contact you when I've got something to report, Angeal."

* * *

"Sephiroth? General?"

Zack knocked on the door of Sephiroth's quarters, not really expecting an answer. He sighed when his prediction came true and he looked around cautiously. He started to brace himself to break the door down, but he noticed a security camera swiveling around on the ceiling to his left. He groaned. How the hell was he supposed to explain why he busted into the general's private quarters? He could disable the camera, but that would just alert security to come and investigate the cause of the malfunction.

"Think, Zack..._think_!" He smacked his forehead a couple of times, hoping to force out a brilliant idea the way he could force ketchup out of a bottle by tapping the bottom of it.

The sound of a firearm going off on the other side of the door cinched it for him. Zack forgot about trying to come up with a scheme to convince security to let him use a copy of Sephiroth's keycard. He took several steps back and sucked in a couple of quick breaths as he braced for impact. Aiming for the spot near the keycard reader so that he could dislodge the locking mechanism and force it to open, he charged at the barrier and slammed his shoulder hard against the surface. It shuddered, but remained shut.

Zack rubbed his shoulder and prepared to try again. "Damn! Why can't they just put _normal_ doors in this building, with doorknobs and stuff?" He really _hated_ the sliding doors in Headquarters and though they were designed to open under pressure in the event of an earthquake, explosion or other emergency, he would have had a much easier time kicking open a standard door.

"Hang on, Seph," he grunted as he rammed the door again. "I'm coming!"

He refused to consider the very likely possibility that he was already too late.

* * *

Sephiroth's hand shook a she wrestled mentally with Jenova. "You won't...succeed again," he promised. She'd managed to spoil his aim and he now had a neat bullet hole in his ceiling. Fortunately, there was nothing above his quarters, so the chances of anyone getting hit by that shot were nil.

There was another crash and he turned his head to look at the door. Zack would break through soon. He couldn't afford to miss a second time, if he was going to end this. Sephiroth opened his mouth and he gripped the barrel of his gun with his other hand to hold it steady as he positioned it. He shut his eyes and prepared to try again, ready to face the blackness of oblivion.

* * *

On his fourth try, Zack put enough force behind his blow to dislodge the locking mechanism and force the door to open. His arms windmilled as he tried to catch his balance and avoid falling through the open door on his face.

"Sephiroth?" Zack stumbled through the door and looked around, quickly taking in the scene before him. Though larger than most military accommodations, the general's quarters were a studio setup, with a kitchen alcove and a separate bathroom. He spotted Sephiroth sitting on his bed, and his relief to find him alive was quickly replaced by alarm.

The General had the barrel of a gun in his mouth and he was about to pull the trigger.

Zack didn't question why Sephiroth was still alive after hearing the gun go off moments ago. He didn't ask why the man was trying to blow his brains out. He just dove for Sephiroth, completely forgetting that he was his superior, a decorated war hero and possibly the most powerful fighter on the planet. Zack's only focus at this moment was to get that firearm out of Sephiroth's hands before it went off and snuffed his lights out. He knocked Sephiroth onto his back and he tried to grab the gun from him.

The snarl on Sepiroth's lips reminded Zack of a pissed off tomcat. That was all he had time to notice before the general bucked him off, hard enough to send Zack flying backwards into the wall. He struck his head against the wall and when the stars cleared from his vision, he saw _two_ Sephiroths preparing to suck lead. Zack yelled in determination and jumped the other man again, struggling with all his might to hold him down and wrest the weapon from his hand. Trained to adapt quickly, Zack adjusted his tactics to avoid a repeat of earlier. He wrapped his limbs around Sephiroth's body to prevent getting bucked off again and he barely avoided a nasty head-butt.

"Thought you'd have more class than that," grunted Zack in response to the unexpected combat move.

Sephiroth didn't answer him, of course. He'd always considered Seph too dignified to resort to barroom brawl tactics like head-butting, though he should have known better than to make assumptions. There was a reason why this man was the best in his regiment and Zack reminded himself to respect that. As Sephiroth rolled over with him and gained the upper hand, Zack was given another painful reminder of the general's fighting prowess. He shouted in pain as Sephiroth slammed his grasping hand against the headboard of the bed, attempting to force his grip on his wrist loose.

Zack snarled up at his superior and his eyes swam with tears of pain and frustration. "Forget it! I'm not letting you do this!"

He was going to lose his grip and the wild, desperate look in Sephiroth's emerald gaze assured Zack that if he failed to do this, someone was definitely getting shot—and not necessarily Sephiroth. He decided to practice a little dirty pool of his own and he gave Sephiroth a close-up view of his forehead, reciprocating the general's earlier actions. He got lucky..._very_ lucky. Sephiroth was concentrating on freeing his gun hand from Zack's grip and though he jerked his head back to avoid full collision, he wasn't quite fast enough to evade the brunet's cranium completely.

Zack winced with regret as he felt the impact of Seph's nose against his forehead, but the hit made the taller man loosen his grip on his gun and Zack took advantage of that immediately. He again paid Sephiroth back for his actions and he slammed his hand against the edge of the headboard, forcing him to drop his gun. As Sephiroth clamped a hand over his nose and struggled to recover from the attack, Zack kicked him away and made a mad scramble for the gun. He caught it before Seph could reach for it and when he saw that the window was open a crack, he immediately dove at it and threw the gun out of it. The weapon spun end-over-end as it fell to the street, far below.

Zack breathed a sigh of relief and he turned to face Sephiroth, intending to reason with him. His words were choked off by the vise-like grip of Sephiroth's hand around his throat. Zack grabbed Sephiroth's forearm with both hands and he struggled to breath as he was shoved against the wall and lifted off his feet. He looked into Sephiroth's maddened, dilated eyes and he struggled to draw enough breath to reason with him.

For a horrifying moment, he thought he was going to die. He was just beginning to lose consciousness when Sephiroth seemed to realize what he was doing and reconsider his actions. The general's rage faded from his expression, to be replaced by hopeless resolve. He lowered Zack to the floor and released him, bowing his head.

"Go."

Zack coughed and rubbed his neck as he shook his head. "N-no," he choked out. He put his hands on his knees and bent over a little as he caught his breath. "I'm not leaving you like this. I can't let you do it, Sephiroth."

"You're a fool."

Zack raised his head and looked up at the general with a frown. "For what? Wanting someone I respect and care for to live? Yeah, right. Someone in this room is a 'fool', but it's not me."

Sephiroth looked away. "You don't understand."

Zack sighed and straightened up. "Nope. I probably never will, either. That seems to be my lot in life with most things. Just because I don't understand why you just tried to off yourself doesn't mean I'm wrong for stopping you."

"You saw the way I was," Sephiroth insisted, still not looking at him. "In Nibelheim. You know what I could do, if I ever lost control."

"So don't lose control," advised Zack. When the other man looked at him with an exasperated expression, he shrugged. "Too simple for you? Okay, let's break it down. Do you _want_ to lose control like that again?"

Sephiroth lowered his gaze. "A part of me does."

"So what does the other part want?"

The general sighed. "The other part wants to reclaim my life and see to it that this sort of thing never happens again, Zackary. I fail to see your point."

Zack dared to give him a friendly pat on the arm and he guided him back to the bed, coaxing him to sit down. Because the man was already so emotionally devastated, he allowed it. "My point is you aren't a bad guy, Sephiroth. I know it, Angeal knows it and I think something inside you knows it too. You don't deserve to die for what Hojo did, man."

"I'm a threat," insisted Sephiroth. "Would you say civilians deserve to die over what Hojo did to me, Fair? Because, that's what it will amount to if I fall into madness again. You say 'don't', but it's really not as simple as that."

"I know," admitted Zack with a sigh. "But you can't just give up. We need you, Sephiroth. The _world_ needs you. Heroes like you don't get born every minute, you know. Besides all that, you were Hojo's big accomplishment, right? What do you think will happen if his greatest success dies? You know the guy better than I do. Would he just let his work die with you?"

Sephiroth's expression darkened like a thundercloud and his fists clenched over his knees. "No."

"That's right," agreed Zack sagely. "He'd start over. He might even try to make an improved version of you. The man's just not right in the head and someone's got to keep him in line. I don't think the company is going to do it and none of us know him the way you do. He'll do what he did to you again, if he has the chance. Think about that."

Sephiroth bowed his head and his silver hair fell around his shoulders and over his face like a shiny curtain. "Very well, Zack. I'll require a visit to Hojo soon, if I'm to stay here after all."

Zack regarded him suspiciously. "Yeah? Do you mean that?"

Sephiroth lifted his head to peer at Zack through hanging strands of pale hair. "You've convinced me that my being here is the lesser of two evils, for now. Well done."

Zack wanted to respond to that, but the sound of footsteps and clicking guns outside in the hallway gave him pause. He groaned and glanced at the window, where he'd thrown the gun out. "Shit...this is going to be fun to explain."

Sephiroth took a slow breath and he stood up, schooling his expression into the familiarly cool, impassive one Zack was so used to seeing on his face. "I'll take care of it."

Security guards were getting positioned outside the door and Sephiroth approached with calm, confident authority. "Stand down. There's no need for alarm."

"General, Sir," saluted one of the guards respectfully. "We've received reports of gunfire coming from your room and security monitors showed Private Fair breaking through your door. Can you explain what's going on?"

"Certainly," answered Sephiroth, with a glance over his shoulder at Zack. "I was attempting to disassemble my firearm for cleaning. The magazine clip was jammed and the weapon went off. The bullet missed me and penetrated the ceiling. Private Fair was coming to report to me when the gun went off, and he broke the door down out of fear for my safety when he heard the misfire. Why aren't you writing this down?"

All four of the security guards were standing there like slack-jawed yokels as they listened to his monotone explanation, and his closing question startled the leader out of his fascination. He saluted Sephiroth again and he dug clumsily through his pockets for a report pad.

"Yes Sir...right away, Sir. Nobody was injured?"

"Only my ceiling." Sephiroth indicated the little hole in his ceiling. "I'd appreciate it if you'll send someone to repair the damage."

"I...see. Well, the only reason I ask is because," the guard visibly gulped, "because your nose is bleeding, Sir."

Sephiroth wiped absently at the trickle of drying blood and Zack grimaced guiltily. The general was quick to offer a logical explanation for the bleed, however—and it wasn't exactly a lie.

"That's just the result of an unfortunate collision with Private Fair's head. He charged in here without looking where he was going and my nose took the brunt of it. Have you any further questions, or don't you have other work to do?"

"Sorry, General," apologized the lead guard. "We'll just get out of your way now. I'll send someone from maintenance to look at your door and ceiling. Have a good day, Sir."

Sephiroth nodded and he waited until they were gone to turn and face Zack again. "I'd advise you to collect my gun from the street, before someone else finds it and reports it."

Zack started to do as he said out of sheer habit, but he stopped himself and gave Sephiroth a suspicious look. He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "Sorry, but I'm not letting you out of my sight again until I know you aren't looking for a ticket on the fastest ride out of this life. You come with me. I'll get your gun and I'll put it away somewhere safe, and then I'm going to check out your quarters to make sure there aren't other goodies stashed somewhere."

Sephiroth raised a brow at him. "Do you really believe I'm going to allow you to search through my personal belongings?"

Zack forced himself to meet that challenging gaze evenly—though it made his stomach feel like lead to do so. "I'm trying to help you, Seph. You agreed to stick around and that means you've got to let me do my part to make sure that happens, okay?"

The general looked like he might argue with him for a moment, but then the last of his energy reserves seemed to leave him at once and he sank down on the bed with a sigh. "Do whatever you must, Zackary."

His compliance was almost as disturbing as his behavior in Nibelheim, to Zack. It was very hard to see one of his role models looking so...defeated. He sighed and the ever-present optimist in him insisted that things would eventually get better.

* * *

Genesis watched and listened with interest as his companion spoke on the phone with Zack Fair. Lazard was finishing up some paperwork with Rufus, so they were alone in the suite until he returned. What Genesis managed to glean from the one-sided conversation he was hearing was that Sephiroth had tried to do something awful, and Zack arrived just on time to save the day. Most of Angeal's responses were "Mmm-hmm's" and "I see's". The grim cast of Angeal's chiseled features gave away more than his responses to his phone conversation.

"You did the right thing, Zack," Angeal said in closing. "That was some fast thinking and I'm proud of you. I need you to keep it up for a little while longer. No, I don't know exactly when we'll be returning to Midgar...that's why I need you to keep doing what you're doing. There's nobody else I trust with this and he can't be left alone. I promise, when we get back I'll speak to Lazard about giving you a couple of weeks off duty. You've earned it."

Angeal glanced at Genesis. "Yes, he's right here." He smirked. "No, Zack. He hasn't killed anyone yet. Yes, we _do_ both have our hands full, don't we? Try to get some rest. You won't have to do this alone for much longer. Okay. Goodbye."

Angeal ended the call and replaced his phone in his pocket. Genesis stared at him as he crossed the living area to the bar and poured two shots of whiskey from one of the complimentary bottles resting on the shelf. Genesis walked over to join him and when the big man offered one of the shots to him without saying anything, he knew things were more serious than he'd thought.

"Well?" Genesis prompted after downing his shot and setting the glass back down on the bar. "What news did your puppy have for us?"

Angeal drank his liquor down with a grimace and poured two more shots. "Sephiroth tried to kill himself."

Just like that. Angeal didn't try to sugarcoat it one bit and his dark blue gaze sought out Genesis' aqua one as he picked up his shot glass and studied the amber liquid inside of it. "Something he'd said to Zack earlier really bothered him and he got worried. When he called me a couple of hours ago during that meeting, he was asking me where I thought Sephiroth might go if he wanted to commit suicide. I told him to check his quarters—which he did. He found Seph with a gun in his mouth."

Genesis lowered his shot glass, halfway to his lips. "Minerva...I didn't see _that_ coming."

Angeal frowned at him.

Genesis spread his hands. "I really _didn't_. I know you were concerned, but of the three of us, Sephiroth was the last one I expected to try and end his own life. I assumed you and I would be riding the lemming train long before him, if it came to suicide."

"Then what did you expect him to do, Genesis?" Angeal downed his second shot and began pouring a third. "You've known him for as long as I have. Did you really think Nibelheim would be the end of it?"

"No," answered Genesis. "I expected Sephiroth to torch Nibelheim and then go skipping home to Midgar with his dear 'mother's' decapitated head, so that he could paint the town red with Hojo's blood. I never expected him to be the sort to choose self-destruction over going on a killing spree."

Angeal nodded. "You have a point. I just had a feeling, watching the way he was acting after the reactor incident. We both know that Sephiroth thrives on practical thinking. I think we can also both relate to the feeling that the world might be better off without monsters like us in it."

Genesis watched him tilt his head back to drink the third shot and something twisted inside of him. Here was a man who could bench-press a truck, yet he never used his substantial strength to harm a living soul unless he had to. He had the muscle power to crush a man's windpipe with his bare hand and hardly any effort, but those battle-roughened hands were always gentle—even when practicing authority. He was honorable, inspiring and self-sacrificing to a fault. The label of "monster" simply didn't fit him.

"You're no monster, Angeal."

The big man swallowed his drink and looked at him curiously. "What made you say that?"

Genesis shrugged and he absently patted the reassuring bulk of his playbook, hidden in an inner pocket of his jacket.

"There is no hate, only joy  
For you are beloved by the goddess  
Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds."

Angeal shook his head. "It's not me."

"It _is_ you," insisted Genesis. "That line was practically written for you, Angeal. Deny it as much as you like, but I can see it."

Angeal gave him a tired little smile of surrender. "You have a way of viewing the world that I'll never understand, so I can't argue with you."

"Good," approved the redhead. He frowned when Angeal started to pour yet another shot and he reached for the whiskey bottle, stopping him. "Take it from one who knows; alcohol abuse is all good fun until you wake up in the morning looking like a hat full of assholes and feeling worse. Put it back, Hewley."

Angeal frowned at him, betraying annoyance. "So you're telling me it's okay for you to get drunk over a few snooty rich people getting on your nerves, but it's not okay for me to do it after hearing that one of my closest friends tried to shoot himself?"

Genesis grimaced, unable to counter that argument. "Well no...I just...you never were a drinker and I feel responsible for getting you started."

"I've drank before," protested Angeal, "I just wasn't familiar with all of those fancy cocktails they were serving yesterday. I'll be fine."

"But you've never drank _heavily_ before," insisted Genesis. "I doubt you've ever even experienced a hangover. I...oh, stop looking at me that way. You just...ugh...damnation." He practically sulked as he released the whiskey bottle and gave a nod at it, never happy to lose an argument to his lover. "Fine, drink up. Just be aware that if you pass out on the floor, you'll be sleeping where you land. You're too big for me to carry to the couch."

"I'll keep that in mind. Do you want another?"

Genesis made a face and shook his head. "Two was enough for me..._more_ than enough, actually. After last night, I probably shouldn't have imbibed at all."

Angeal nodded in understanding and resumed pouring his shot. "Zack will shadow Sephiroth until we return. He's already gone through his quarters to make sure there aren't any sharp objects, medication or hidden firearms."

"Are you trying to drive the kid insane too?" questioned Genesis. "He's only seventeen, Angeal. I'm usually the first to agree that hard discipline is a winner with new recruits, but you may be pushing the envelope, here. I think the three of us are mad enough on our own, without dragging your protégé into the pit with us."

"I realize that," muttered Angeal. "If there was someone I could trust to help Zack watch over Sephiroth while we're away, I would get them. We can't let this get out and we can't leave Sephiroth alone in his current state of mind, though. I have faith in Zack's ability to handle the situation, for now."

Genesis shrugged. "You know him better than I do. Let's hope you're right."

Angeal peered at him suspiciously before grinning softly.

"What?" demanded Genesis. "Stop looking so creepy."

"He's grown on you."

Genesis furrowed his brows. "Who?"

"Zack," answered Angeal with satisfaction. "You're starting to like him."

"Don't be ridiculous," excused Genesis. "I just know that if your boy wonder snaps under the pressure you've heaped on him, you'll be pulverizing yourself with the angst bat for months. Frankly, I'd rather not deal with that."

Angeal chuckled softly, already loosened up by the alcohol he'd consumed so fast. "Let's just be thankful that Sephiroth is alive and being looked after."

"Hmph...let me guess...it will fall on _us _to take shifts babysitting him when we return to Midgar."

Angeal's smile faded and he looked at Genesis in a chastising way. "Would you rather he kill himself?"

Genesis narrowed his eyes at him. "You know better."

Angeal shrugged. "Then we'll be his guardians, until he's past this stage."

Genesis couldn't resist mentioning a troubling possibility. "And what if he doesn't _get_ past this stage?"

Angeal sighed and took a seat on one of the bar stools. "If someone really wants to end their own life, they'll find a way to do it. As his friends, we owe it to him to at least try to help him. It's ultimately up to Sephiroth."

Genesis nodded, having no argument to that. "I've changed my mind; I'll have one more shot."

* * *

-To be continued


	11. Chapter 11

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter eleven: Mental fortitude

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note:_**_ Yes, Galian Beast is my favorite of all Vincent's "lesser" demons.  
_

* * *

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.

* * *

Over the next few days, Sephiroth dragged himself out of the entropic emotional state he'd been mired in, with Zack's constant encouragement. His already rare smiles were now virtually extinct and he was even more withdrawn from humanity than before, but his psychiatric evaluation was favorable. He was pronounced mentally capable of resuming his duties, provided he eased back into them gradually. Zack suspected he wasn't nearly as "recovered" as he claimed and he dutifully kept a sharp eye on him, keeping him company whenever possible without crowding him too much. The general must have felt he needed watching too—otherwise he would have declared his cooperation to be at its end. His compliance was more troubling than comforting.

Poor Zack suffered for his attentiveness. The night that he stopped Sephiroth from committing suicide, he of course missed out on his date with Cissnei. In fact, he forgot all about it and he couldn't even explain what happened to her. All he could tell her was that he got called out on a mission and he didn't have the chance to call and cancel the date. By now, Cissnei had been stood up and cancelled on enough times to have her fill. On the third day after Zack's intervention, she arranged to meet him at the fountain in Sector 8 after work. When he showed up, she informed him she didn't want to date him any more.

"Zack, I really like you and I know our jobs make things...complicated...but I really don't want to keep playing 'catch up' with you."

Zack winced and gave her a pleading look. "Hey, I've got a _really_ good excuse for missing our movie night, Cissnei."

She planted her hands on her hips and gazed up at him with doubtful brown eyes. "Then let's hear it."

"I...I told you," he stammered, "they called me out on a mission and I just didn't get the chance to call you up and cancel our date. Believe me, I'd have been there if I could make it. You've got to give me a break...please?"

She sighed and looked up at the power lines overhead. "Another mission. It's always a mission, or someone needs your help, or you lost track of time while you were training. I could accept it at first because I know what it's like to have to put your job before your personal life, but it always seems like something 'comes up' right about when we're supposed to have some time alone together. It doesn't feel like I have a boyfriend."

"Aw, don't be that way," he coaxed, reaching out to rub her arms. "Cissnei, I don't plan for this stuff to happen. I _really, really_ want to spend time with you and believe me; nobody's more frustrated than I am that this crap keeps happening! I really think things are going to start settling down now, okay? Just give it a chance."

She shook her head and bit her lower lip. "I'm sorry, Zack. I've wrestled with myself over this and I really think it's best for both of us if we stop seeing each other. This isn't a relationship and to be honest, I'm not sure people like us are meant to have one anyhow."

He lowered his gaze and released her. "You sure you don't want to think on this just a little more?"

Cissnei gave him a sad little smile. "I've put it off for long enough." She stepped closer and stood up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Maybe some day, you'll find someone that fits into your life better, Zack. I hope we can be friends."

He found it impossible to be angry with her, looking into her sincere, warm brown eyes. He shrugged and smirked good-naturedly, trying to ignore the sting of rejection. "I'd rather have you as a friend than an enemy, so I guess I've got to cooperate."

Her smile grew brighter and she favored him with one of the sweet, soft giggles that had initially played a part in drawing his attraction. "Good answer."

* * *

Reeve caught up with Zack in Headquarters shortly after he returned. Zack was just getting into the elevator to go up to his personal quarters and get some rack, when the executive stopped the doors from closing and joined him.

"So where have you been?" Zack questioned as Reeve stepped into the elevator car. He noticed that the older man hadn't pushed any buttons yet and he frowned. "Uh...are you going to pick a floor, or do you want me to pick one for you?"

"I'm not in here to pick a floor," explained Reeve. He glanced sidelong at Zack as if measuring him up.

Zack was stricken by a sudden, powerful sense of discomfort and awkwardness. He sidestepped away from Reeve and tried to let him down gently. "Uh, look...I'm sure you're a handsome guy and it's none of my business what you do on your time, but I don't swing that way."

Reeve turned his head to stare at him, slack-mouthed. For two heartbeats, his expression was utterly mystified—and then he burst into laughter and clapped Zack on the shoulder.

"You thought that was a come-on? Ah, Zack...give me a little credit, kid!" Reeve wiped his eyes and almost seemed like he might piss himself. He took a deep breath, blurted another chuckle and then cleared his throat, visibly struggling to control his mirth.

Zack was grinning sheepishly and blushing with the realization that he'd completely misread the man. "I guess I like the taste of my own feet. You just had this weird look on your face and I thought...never mind. Sorry, man. It's just been one of those weeks."

Reeve pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded. "Oh, I can't tell you how much I can relate to _that_ sentiment. Funny misunderstandings aside, I hijacked your elevator to bend your ear about something." He reached out and hit the stop button, bringing the car to a halt.

Zack frowned at him. "Can't you just come to my quarters with me to talk?"

"Well, I was going to suggest that, but then you thought I was hitting on you so I had to improvise."

Zack flushed again, chagrined. "Well, now I know you're not, so let's start this elevator back up before someone gets the wrong idea."

Reeve chuckled and complied.

* * *

"Want something to drink?" Zack walked over to his mini fridge and opened it up to dig out an orange soda for himself.

"Thanks, no." Reeve clasped his hands behind his back and walked the length of the room, seeming to pull his thoughts together.

Zack opened his can of drink and watched the other man curiously. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Sephiroth," answered Reeve.

Zack lowered his drink and regarded the administrator warily. "What about him? Hey, if you're worried he might trip out again, don't. He's got everything under control, now."

"But for how long?" Reeve held Zack's gaze sincerely. "Sephiroth has issues that go deeper than being a product of experimentation."

Zack frowned. "Like what?"

Reeve hesitated and looked away. "I can't give you specific details, but he has to rely on Hojo to keep those issues under control. I'm sure I don't need to tell you what a blow to his pride that is, Zack."

The Soldier winced, imagining how hard it must be for Sephiroth to require that slimy bastard's help. He wondered what he hadn't told him, but Zack knew if Sephiroth thought he needed to know, he would have shared whatever personal secret Reeve was hinting at. It rankled him a little that a suit knew more than he did, but he was sure there was a reason behind that.

"So you think you can do something about that?"

Reeve nodded confidently. "I do. Or at least, I've brought someone who probably can. If Sephiroth cooperates, we may be able to eliminate his need to rely on Hojo entirely. That can only be good news, as far as I'm concerned."

"Hell yeah," agreed Zack. "So, who's this person you're hinting at? Some kind of super therapist? Ooh, does he hypnotize people or something? Is he going to give Seph some kind of pills to take...or maybe he can do whatever Hojo does for him in his place?"

The bombardment of questions had Reeve holding his hands up in a placating gesture. "If you'll quiet down, I'll explain."

Zack gave himself a mental nudge, remembering his personal vow to stop running off at the mouth so much. People needed to start taking him seriously and that would never happen if he kept acting like "the puppy".

"Okay, shoot. Who is this guy...or girl?"

"A friend," assured Reeve. "One you've met before...under unfortunate circumstances. Do you remember the night in Nibelheim, when we spoke in the cellar in that storage room?"

"The one with the coffins?" Zack cringed inwardly, fighting a shiver. "Yeah. I won't be forgetting _that_ trip anytime soon."

"Well, that's where you met my friend; the one who's going to help Sephiroth control his problem."

Zack stared at him. "Wha-huh?"

"The man in the red cape," elaborated Reeve. "The one that startled you so badly."

Zack's brows drew down severely. "You mean the _dead_ guy? You told me I hit my head and imagined that!"

"Er, yes...I lied. That was no 'dead guy'. That was Vincent."

Zack stared at him again. "Vincent?"

Reeve inclined his head. "Vincent Valentine. He wasn't dead, he was sleeping."

"In a _coffin_?"

Reeve nodded again. "That's right."

Zack forgot he had his drink in his hands and he spilled some as he threw his arms out. "Who the hell sleeps in a coffin, in some creepy basement where ShinRa used to do secret experiments?"

"Vincent does."

Zack went still, his face freezing into an expression of a person who's had enough. "All of you people are mental. Is everybody ShinRa hires out of their goddamned minds?"

Reeve shrugged. "More or less. One has to be a _little_ crazy to work here, Zack."

"Not helping!" Zack dragged his fingers through his spiked hair. "My parents warned me, but I didn't listen. You city people really _are_ bonkers!"

"I like what you've done with your hair."

Zack didn't think it was possible for his eyes to get any wider without rolling out of his head. "What does my _hair_ have to do with—"

"It makes you look more mature," Reeve went on calmly, gesturing at him. "Granted, it's more severe than the 'fluffy' look you were sporting when I left to enlist Vincent's help, but it suits you. I wouldn't want to be standing next to you in an earthquake, however. Those spikes could put someone's eye out."

Zack's jaw dropped.

"I see I've succeeded in distracting you from your rant." Reeve gave him a ghost of a smile. "Now, will you please calm down and listen?"

At his wits end, Zack could only nod. Part of him wanted to just pack up and leave this insanity for good, but he cared too much about his friends and he was interested to hear how Reeve thought some guy with a vampire complex could help Sephiroth.

He took another sip of his drink and sat down on his bed. "Okay, let's hear it. What is this Victor guy—"

"Vincent."

"Vincent...whatever. What makes you think he can help Sephiroth?"

"He has some...experience with fighting inner demons, Zack. I can tell you his story later, with his approval. Right now, it's important that Sephiroth meet up with him and begin training."

"Training?" repeated Zack with a frown.

Reeve nodded. "Mental exercise, to be precise. Vincent is going to teach him to do for himself what Hojo's been doing with medical hypnosis. Like I said before; if this works, Sephiroth can be completely self-sufficient and that should lift a sizeable burden from his shoulders. I know he responds well to you and I thought you'd have a better chance of convincing him to try this than I would. What do you say, Zack?"

The young fighter scratched the back of his head and grimaced uncertainly. "I say this all sounds kooky and you've been sniffing glue if you think he 'responds well to me', but I guess he likes me better than anyone else in this joint, right now. I'll find a way to talk him into it and hope to hell you're right about this helping him."

* * *

Sephiroth again wondered how Zack managed to talk him into going to this part of town. He was supposedly meeting up with a "friend" that he wanted the general to talk to—supposedly a friend that had some information concerning Jenova. He supposed curiosity combined with quiet desperation to calm the storm within himself were both to blame for his compliance.

"Your friend lives in the slums?" Sephiroth glanced sidelong at his companion as the taxi drove them through the dilapidated streets of Sector 7.

Zack shrugged and checked the address saved on his phone again. "He's not real big on creature comforts, I guess. The guy could sleep in a coffin comfortably."

Having no idea that Zack meant that literally, Sephiroth sighed and looked out the window again. Watching people living in squalor was a sobering reminder that despite his rather significant problems, he could be worse off. It was really no wonder Reeve Tuesti was constantly pushing for better social welfare programs and habitat programs.

Speaking of Reeve Tuesti, Sephiroth was surprised and mildly suspicious when the vehicle pulled up to a small shack of a house on Walker Street, and the head of Urban Development himself was standing outside by the front door. He looked as though he'd been expecting their arrival and Sephiroth looked at Zack with narrowed eyes.

"Reeve Tuesti is your source?" It seemed Zack didn't have anything new to offer him after all; and that put the bitter taste of disappointment in Sephiroth's mouth.

"Nope," answered Zack, unbuckling his safety belt, "Reeve convinced the other guy to come. Think of us as negotiators."

Sephiroth felt a dull glimmer of hope. "This 'other guy' you speak of wouldn't go by the name of Gast, would he?"

Zack shook his head. "Sorry man, it's not him. This guy knew your mother, though—according to Reeve."

Sephiroth raised a silvery brow with intrigue and he unbuckled his safety belt to get out of the car with Zack. Reeve perked up at their approach and he offered his hand to Sephiroth in a polite manner. The general shook it out of polite compulsion, watching Reeve with curious, wary green eyes.

"I've been told you have someone in there who knew my mother," Sephiroth murmured, glancing at the house. "I'm interested to know who this individual is."

"It's a long story," sighed Reeve. He looked around at their bleak surroundings. "I offered to set him up in a nice hotel, but it seems he's more comfortable in minimalist dwellings. At least this gives us all the chance to see how the little people live, under the plate."

Sephiroth suspected that Reeve already knew good and well how the "little people" lived down here, and he wondered if this setting was at least partly contrived by him. He was a subtle bastard but Reeve knew how to get his point across.

"I didn't come here to discuss welfare politics," reminded Sephiroth coolly, "so if it's your hope that I'll lend you my support against the other departments based on what I've seen in these streets, you've set yourself up for disappointment."

Reeve held his innocent expression for about two seconds under the general's stare, and then he deflated and sighed. "You're not an easy man to manipulate, Sephiroth."

Zack looked between the two of them with confusion. "Wait...so you set this up here because you wanted to push your urban development?"

"No," assured Reeve, "but the location Vincent picked to stay in _did_ provide me with a convenient excuse to slide a little hint in. Far be it from me to pass up an opportunity like that."

Zack sighed. "Man, I don't get you. I thought you were more honest than the others."

"In Reeve's defense," Sephiroth said thoughtfully, "one doesn't rise to the top in ShinRa inc. without practicing some form of deception, manipulation or ruthlessness. He's a suit for a _reason_, Zackary. That being said, he _is_ more honest than most other administrators...as is Lazard. That's the only reason I'm not calling that taxi back."

"I've always said you were a man of class, Sephiroth," Reeve announced. He patted Zack on the arm. "Zack, I'm sorry if I've disappointed you. I think you're a good kid and I wish you didn't have to learn about the dark side of humanity through any of my actions. Still, it's better for you to be disappointed and aware than blissfully ignorant. Trust me, the latter is the more dangerous of the two."

"We can discuss the finer points of real life another time," Sephiroth prompted, his face betraying a subtle loss of patience. "I want to know exactly why I'm here. Now."

Reeve and Zack both winced. The older man gave a nod and gestured at the door. "Right this way, gentlemen."

* * *

Vincent looked up as the trio stepped into the darkened shack. He sat on the worn couch, reading a newspaper to catch up on recent happenings. His eyes immediately went to Sephiroth and the first thing he did was search for Lucrecia's traits. The resemblance was faint—mostly in the cheekbones and the shape of the jaw. What interested Vincent was the utter lack of similarity to Hojo's features. The young man was utterly beautiful—but it was an alien beauty. His strange eyes lent testimony to that.

Sephiroth likewise regarded him with veiled interest, his bright gaze taking in everything and giving little away in return. Beside him, Zack cleared his throat and started to make introductions.

"Sephiroth, this is Virgil—"

"Vincent," corrected both Reeve and Vincent at the same time.

"Uh, Vincent," revised Zack, looking a little embarrassed. "Vincent Valentine...that's right, isn't it?" He looked at Reeve for confirmation, uncertain. The executive nodded and controlled a smile of amusement.

"You knew my mother, according to them," Sephiroth said, his eyes remaining locked on Vincent.

Other men would have been intimidated by that relentless, serpentine stare but Vincent merely found it direct and he approved. He gave a single nod. "I did."

He almost said he knew her well, but upon reflection, he realized that he really didn't know Lucrecia at all. Otherwise, he could have predicted that she would have chosen a cold, conniving scientist over him and sacrificed herself and her unborn child in the name of research.

Sephiroth frowned at him, his brows knitting slightly in a mild show of confusion. "You look no older than me."

Zack threw his hands up. "_Thank you_! I thought it was just me."

"Zack, why don't we give them some privacy," suggested Reeve tactfully. "There's a coffee shop down the street we can go to."

Zack looked a little uncertainly at Sephiroth. "Is that cool with you?"

The general spared him a nod. "Go, Zackary. I think Mr. Valentine and I have a lot to discuss."

Vincent nodded in agreement and when the two other men were out the door and gone, he got up and went to the kitchen area of the room. He poured a glass of water for Sephiroth from a bottle he'd bought at the grocery store—not quite trusting the old plumbing in his temporary residence to provide clean drinking water.

"Thank you," said Sephiroth as the gunman offered the glass to him and gestured for him to sit.

Vincent watched him and he waited until he was seated in the ratty armchair, before taking his own seat again. Sephiroth sipped the cool water; probably out of politeness sake more than thirst. There were veiled questions in his gaze as he watched Vincent and the gunman waited in silence, giving him the chance to speak first.

"Can I presume by the glow in your eyes and your youthful appearance that you've had high exposure to Mako treatments?"

"Some," agreed Vincent, "but it's more complex than that. The...treatment...that was done on me has permanently halted my aging process. I'll appear as I did when I died, for the rest of my existence."

His explanation gave Sephiroth pause and he stopped drinking, lowering his glass. "You died...and yet you're sitting here talking to me."

"I was resuscitated...during an experimental process that left me in an altered state. When I woke up, I was a monster."

Sephiroth frowned, keeping whatever personal thoughts he had on that statement to himself. "How did you die?"

"The same man who experimented on me was responsible for my demise." Vincent lifted his golden claw hand and slowly clenched it, watching it with detachment. "Your father, Hojo."

Sephiroth's pupils briefly expanded, then contracted back to normal. "I see. What was your relationship with my mother?"

"I was her bodyguard, at first." Vincent lowered his gaze and replayed memories of her quiet smiles, her gentle touches and her reassuring voice in his mind. "I...came to care for her."

"As more than a friend?" guessed Sephiroth.

Vincent nodded, seeing no reason to hide the truth from the boy. He'd probably already read the truth in his body language. "Yes, but she chose Hojo, in the end. She admired him for his ingenuity. I was just a Turk."

"But he guessed your feelings for her and he somehow managed to kill you." Sephiroth looked at the gun holstered at Vincent's hip. "You don't strike me as the sort of man to die easily."

"I was careless," answered Vincent. "Grieving. Reeve has informed me that you've seen the files Hojo kept from you. If you've seen them, you know your mother died shortly after you were born...after he took you from her and left her to her fate. I wanted to avenge her, and I couldn't see through my own rage. I failed to notice the gun, until it was too late. He kept me in the hidden laboratory, beneath the ShinRa mansion."

Sephiroth nodded. "You're the one he put in the basement, then. I found snatches of information on my own, about a threat to his research that he dealt with in his 'own way'. He must have meant you."

Vincent nodded.

"What did he do to you?" There was no sympathy in the general's voice, merely curiosity.

Vincent looked at his claw-hand again. "He fused the essence of old, demonic forces with my body, forcing them into my cells to become a part of me. The process left my body unstable and Lucrecia treated me to stabilize it again. In the process, she fused another entity with me and she gave me the means to control it through surgical implantation of a specialized form of materia, known as protomateria."

"I've never heard of it," admitted Sephiroth. He looked doubtful. "I have only your word for all of this. I think I'd like to see some form of proof, before we continue. You'll forgive me for being skeptical, but I've been deceived and manipulated enough."

Vincent shut his eyes. He'd been afraid it would come to this. He could only think of one demon he trusted enough to give him back control when he asked for it, and he got out of his chair and walked to the far side of the room before calling to him.

"I warn you, I'll only do this once," announced Vincent. "It isn't a pleasant experience."

* * *

Sephiroth's curiosity grew as he waited to see what the mysterious gunman would do. In truth, he didn't have any reason to disbelieve what Vincent had told him. He knew firsthand the sort of twisted things Hojo could get up to, if given the opportunity. He wanted to see if Vincent was exaggerating, however. He needed to know it was the truth, rather than the delusions of a former test subject gone insane.

When Valentine began to grow in size, Sephiroth frowned and set his water on the coffee table. He stood up and watched as Vincent began to groan in pain. There was a popping sound, as if his bones were reshaping themselves. The ruby color of his eyes went to yellow and his face began to elongate weirdly into a muzzle. His skin darkened and spouted black fur, his long, raven hair went white from roots to tips and a pair of curved horns grew from the top of his head.

Sephiroth found himself looking up at a werewolf-like creature, towering over him near the door. He was considered a tall man, but he only came up to the bottom of this creature's chest. It hunkered over to avoid hitting its head on the ceiling and it snarled at him, licking its chops like he was a tasty looking morsel.

Sephiroth impulsively reached for his recently returned masamune, leaning against the chair. "I accept your proof. Let's not turn this into an ugly encounter, Valentine."

* * *

Minutes later, Vincent was back in his original form and pouring himself a cup of tea from the chipped pot on the stove. He glanced at Sephiroth in a quiet, musing way as he brought his drink over to the couch and sat down again.

"You hold your calm remarkably," he complimented. "Even the most hardened men usually spare a shiver, whenever they see one of my demons. The Galian beast may as well have been a stray mutt off the street, for all the fear you showed."

Sephiroth smirked without humor. "I've witnessed the botched results of some of Hojo's experiments. I don't scare easily."

"I understand." Vincent set his steaming tea aside and he sighed. "Unfortunately, you and I have something unpleasant in common. As you can see, I live with separate entities inside of me, at all times."

Sephiroth thought he understood where this was going, but he didn't dare let his hopes rise. "Reeve told you about my situation, then."

"Yes. He was concerned. Not just for you, but for the people you've sworn to protect. ShinRa has declared you fit to resume duties, but I think we're both aware that they tend to favor the easiest answer, rather than the most sensible one. You must have your doubts, or you wouldn't have come."

The annoyance Sephiroth felt at his observation was tempered with discipline. "Zack brought me here because he thought you might have something useful for me. Was he wrong?"

"I can teach you to quiet the inner voice," answered Vincent, "so that you rarely hear it at all. It will take time, but you can learn to shut it out. Interested?"

Sephiroth rested his sword against the chair again and he changed his mind about walking out. If there was even a small chance he could block Jenova from his mind and find out if he could be the kind of man to live in this world without burning it to ash, he had to take it.

"Tell me more."

* * *

Nearly a week later, the summit ended more or less favorably for SOLDIER. It was agreed that some of the bonus budget for the year would go into replacing the operatives that the program lost during the war and the subsequent defection. Angeal and Genesis returned to Midgar with Lazard and unfortunately, Rufus and Scarlet soon followed. It would have been easier all around if they had stayed in Junon to conduct company business, but the president wanted them to return to Midgar for some reason—possibly because the summit proved to him that his two sons were capable of working together and maintaining some semblance of civility.

Neither of the two Soldiers said anything to their administrator about the nights he spent with the redhead from the pool. Angeal refrained because it was none of his business, while Genesis held his tongue because Lazard's "extracurricular activities" resulted in he and his partner having the VIP suite—and its king-sized bed—all to themselves at night.

For Lazard, it was back to business as usual almost as soon as he returned and gave his report to the president. For Angeal and Genesis, it was time to prove their cooperation with the company...which meant donating cell samples to the research department and in Genesis' case, undergoing psychiatric evaluation. They didn't even get the chance to speak with Zack about recent events and Sephiroth's condition before they were called away to have blood drawn, tests run and questions asked.

While Angeal was having tests run, his lover went in for his evaluation. Sadly, Genesis' resentment over the terms of his release reared its ugly head during his psychological analysis and when President Shinra got the reports, he called Lazard, Genesis, Angeal and the attending psychologist directly to his office.

* * *

They stood before the portly man's desk as President Shinra read the summary of Genesis' mental evaluation aloud. Angeal kept giving his companion frowning looks, worried to the core that his impetuous nature might have pushed things too far and negated the terms of his release. When the president began to read the doctor's notes, Angeal groaned softly and rubbed his forehead.

_"The patient seemed calm and lucid, at first,"_ read President Shinra aloud, _"But as my questions became more personal, he became more obstinate and agitated. When asked to identify ink blots, he announced that they all looked like my face."_

Lazard and Angeal both looked at Genesis with disbelieving frowns and the redhead shrugged and shook his head, waving it off like it was nothing.

_ "When asked how he was feeling, he responded that he felt fine but was suffering a powerful craving for human flesh. In addition, he felt it only fair to warn me that he enjoyed a good raspberry sauce when he dined on innards and he advised that I was beginning to look tasty."_

"Genesis," muttered Angeal under his breath, beyond the point of embarrassment. " What were you trying to—"

President Shinra cleared his throat loudly to interrupt, and he continued to read the report. _"The patient became more hostile when I pointed out his sarcastic defensive mechanism and in closing, he advised me to go and sodomize myself sideways with the Junon canon. He was completely uncooperative, after that." _

The president dropped the document on his desk and he looked up at Genesis. "Now, do you have anything to say, young man?"

Genesis shrugged. "I believe I articulated my thoughts to the shrink, earlier."

Lazard sighed and stepped forward. "Mr. President, please understand that this Soldier has suffered traumatic experiences. Try to remember what a valuable Soldier Rhapsodos was before this all happened."

"Plenty of people have suffered 'traumatic experiences' in their lives, Director," reminded President Shinra unsympathetically, "but they don't run out and kill their own parents or resort to terrorism, do they?"

"He turned himself in," reminded Lazard stubbornly. "He could have evaded authorities indefinitely, but he chose to cooperate."

"And that's why I'm not tossing him back into jail or ordering him institutionalized," answered the president. He looked at Dr. Sato. "Doctor, your analysis says that the patient 'needs more time'. In your opinion, is he sane or not?"

The small, dark-haired man looked at Genesis appraisingly. "He's sane. He has a host of issues—particularly with anger management, mental maturity and social disconnection, but he's sane."

The president watched Genesis with interest as the redhead shot a killing glare at the doctor. "Then why sabotage his own evaluation?"

"I was merely playing the role you people set up for me," insisted Genesis before the doctor could answer. "And I don't appreciate having someone I've never even met before making a list of all the little things he thinks are 'broken' with me, if you must know the truth."

"Well then, perhaps you'll appreciate this: If you can sit through an evaluation seriously and cooperate enough to become a functioning part of this organization again, you'll be reinstated. If not, you'll become a liability and I'll have both you _and_ Hewley written off as a lost cause, to be locked away out of sight for the rest of your lives. Do I make myself clear, young man?"

Genesis narrowed his eyes on the president and for a brief, horrifying moment, Angeal feared he might lunge across the room at him. The redhead visibly struggled with himself before giving the balding man a tense nod and clenching his jaw.

"Crystal clear," agreed Genesis through his teeth.

* * *

"You _know_ I'm only going through with this farce for you," Genesis informed Angeal in a mutter as they stopped outside the door to Zack's quarters, much later that evening. "Don't you?"

"Yes, and I know I'm going to have to make it up to you several times over," sighed Angeal. He gave his companion a sidelong, reserved smile. "Thank you for restraining yourself when the president gave you that ultimatum."

Genesis shrugged and knocked insistently on Zack's door. "I would have enjoyed nothing more than popping his tiny balding head off of his bloated body...like a tick. How that man fathered two such attractive sons, I'll never know. It's as much a puzzle as Sephiroth's fortunate escape from Hojo's repulsive genetics."

"What's important is that you get through this without causing more un-necessary drama," Angeal insisted. "Just remember that it's a means to an end."

"I'll keep that in mind," sighed Genesis. He knocked harder on the door. "Open up, Zack the Puppy. Your mentor wants to see you before bedtime."

The door slid open a moment later and both men were somewhat startled by the sight of Zack. His hair had been getting on the long-ish side but rather than have it trimmed again, he'd chosen to style it differently. It was hard to tell if the spikes and hanging strands were deliberate, or a result of bed-mussing. He was in his boxers, his breath smelled like beer and he looked half-asleep.

"Hey Ange," Zack yawned. He seemed to realize who he was looking at and he shook his head to clear it. "Whoa, how long have you been back?"

"Most of the day," answered Angeal, "but this is the first chance we've had to touch bases with you. Where's Sephiroth?"

"He's in the slums." Zack covered another yawn. "Hanging out with a dead guy."

Genesis and Angeal exchanged a befuddled look.

"Your answer," Genesis said, "was just rife with brow-knitting wonderment. Care to reconsider it and answer again, Zack?"

Zack shook his head and motioned them to come inside. When they did, he shut the door and went to his bed, plopping down on the mattress. He lay on his side and explained in a sleepy voice. "Reeve brought this guy named Vincent from Nibelheim and he's staying in the slums. Seph's been going there every night to do some kind of mental exercises that are supposed to keep his head screwed on straight. Don't worry, I've been keeping tabs on it."

Zack yawned again and rolled over, presenting his back to them. He hugged his pillow and mumbled something about Cissnei. Concerned, Angeal approached the bed and looked down at the younger man.

"What sort of 'mental exercises', Zack? Who is this man?"

A soft snore was his response.

"Zack?"

Angeal started to reach down and shake his student's shoulder, but he reconsidered and sighed, instead. He pulled the sheets up to cover Zack's slumbering form and he nodded at the door.

"We'll get the details in the morning," he murmured to Genesis, suspecting that it was too late to go to Reeve demanding answers. They would just have to trust Zack's judgment and trust that Sephiroth could handle himself, for tonight.

* * *

-To be continued


	12. Chapter 12

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter twelve: Recovery

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note:_**_ A word on the content of this chapter: In the canon timeline, Zack and Cloud would have been comatose in the ShinRa mansion basement by now and Sephiroth would have been floating in the Lifestream after being hurled into the Mako reactor. Obviously, these events don't occur in this story's timeline and most of the significant events take place around the same time as Dirge of Cerberus. Therefore, there will be some time skipping to avoid gratuitous filler content._

* * *

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.

* * *

The morning after their return to Midgar, Genesis and Angeal paid a visit to Sephiroth's quarters, with Zack in tow—literally. The youngest of the three wanted nothing to do with another intervention, but he was already dug in too deep and his companions wanted him there to give his account of the events. Sephiroth greeted them with ridiculous cordiality and let them into his room, smirking a little as Genesis practically dragged Zack with him. The four of them sat down to talk about everything that had happened during their time apart and just as Angeal and Genesis expected of him, Sephiroth calmly confessed his actions as if another person had made them.

When the discussion finished, there was a long, awkward stretch of silence. Angeal stood with his arms crossed over his chest and a brooding expression on his face. Sephiroth sat in the armchair beside the couch, his emerald gaze thoughtful and opaque. Genesis sat on the couch with Zack, with his left ankle crossed over his right knee and his gloved fingers absently drumming against the leather surface of his boot. Zack looked between his three pensive companions and of course, he was the first to break the silence.

"Hey I just realized I'm the only one here that doesn't have a wing."

The other three Soldiers looked at him and he felt like he'd just called them all fat or something. "Uh…just saying, it kind of makes me feel like the odd man out."

"Poor you," Genesis remarked caustically. "Being the only non-monster in the room must be sheer torture."

All the smacks he'd earned from Sephiroth must have rubbed off on Zack, because he reached out and popped Genesis on the back of the head impulsively. "You guys aren't monsters, so stop saying that."

"Excuse me, did _you just_—"

Angeal smoothly took a seat on the couch, putting himself between his protégé and his lover before Genesis could do more than sputter indignantly. "Be that as it may, Zack raises an interesting point. We aren't 'normal' anymore and however we see ourselves, we need to be careful about exposing our nature to the civilian population."

"Rumors are going to spread," Sephiroth reasoned. "If they haven't already. Word is eventually going to get out that SOLDIER has three winged operatives."

"But there's no reason to exacerbate it by showing off in public."

Genesis raised a brow at the big man. "Why did you look at _me_ when you said that?"

Sephiroth smirked. "Hmph, I can't imagine."

Ironically, Zack came to the redhead's rescue. "He's not _that_ bad, guys. Cut Gen-Gen some slack."

"Thank you," said Genesis graciously, "and stop calling me _'Gen-Gen_' or I'll rip your spine out."

"Cranky," observed Zack. "So anyway...our main reason for being here is to check in on Sephiroth, right? He says he's doing fine so we can go, can't we?"

"Do you have somewhere better to be?" Genesis asked.

Zack checked his watch. "Well, yeah. I need to do some training and I've got a mock mission at eleven."

"I have inspections to do," murmured Sephiroth. "And I'm meeting up with Valentine for further mental exercises later."

"What about you guys?" Zack prompted, looking between Angeal and Genesis. "Don't tell me they've got you both on the shelf, now."

"Just me," grunted Genesis. He gave a nod in Angeal's direction. "He's being reinstated, today. They've got him instructing recruits again."

Zack grinned at the red-clad Solider. "Yeah? So what do they have you doing, Gen-Gen? Group therapy? Finger painting?"

Genesis narrowed aqua eyes on him. "Anger management."

Angeal patted the redhead on the leg in a subtle gesture of support. "If you'll restrain yourself and cooperate with them, you won't have to do it for long."

Sephiroth smirked. "I imagine telling the analyzing doctor to fuck himself sideways on the Junon canon didn't leave him with the impression that you're in control of yourself, Rhapsodos."

Zack looked scandalized for approximately two seconds, before bursting into helpless peals of laughter. "He said that? Aw, man! To be a fly on the wall!"

Angeal even grinned a little, though he gave Sephiroth a puzzled look. "How did you hear about that?"

"Lazard," answered the general. "He called me early this morning, just before you came to my door. He asked me to please talk some sense into Genesis, if I could. It appears that he's operating under the delusion that I have some influence on your behavior, Rhapsodos."

"How slowly they learn," responded Genesis dryly. "But he needn't worry. I've come to the sad conclusion that the fastest way to get out of this is to just play along and cooperate."

Angeal and Zack stared at him with surprise and Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

"You don't think I'm capable of doing it?" challenged Genesis.

"I don't think you have the patience, these days," explained Angeal, "but I won't discourage you from trying."

"Cool, so Angeal's training recruits, Seph's doing hypnotherapy with Valentine and Genesis is spanking his inner moppet. I feel like my schedule is pretty mundane now. I've got nothing to do except focus on my training."

Angeal laid a hand over the youngest Solder's shoulder. "That's a _good_ thing, Zack. You never should have been burdened with the responsibilities you've been forced to shoulder. I'm glad that you can get back to focusing on your training and advancing through the ranks."

Zack smiled, but it was tempered with a bit of regret. It was too late to save his relationship with Cissnei. Even if he called her up and promised his schedule was a lot more open and predictable now, he knew she wouldn't give it another chance. Maybe she was right and the two of them just didn't fit together.

Thinking of Cissnei naturally made him think of girls in general and he looked at his companions thoughtfully. "You know, you guys still kind of owe me for putting me through all of this crap."

The other three Soldiers glanced at each other and shrugged. "Then how can we make it up to you, Zackary?" asked Angeal.

Zack considered the question. "Hmm."

* * *

_Later that evening:_

Angeal sat miserably, staring at the Mako lamp in the center of the table to avoid looking at the abundance of female flesh surrounding him. "This was _not_ what I had in mind."

Sephiroth sat reading a book beside him, trying to tune out the noise of the booming dance music. He spoke just loudly enough to be heard. "You sound surprised."

The big man heaved a sigh. "I was hoping for something simple, like a new sword or combat gear."

"It's Zackary." Sephiroth smirked, not looking up from the book in his gloved hands. "Women and sex occupy every cell in his brain that isn't dedicated to SOLDIER. As his mentor, you above all people should have expected something like this."

"As long as he doesn't expect us to hire a prostitute for him, I suppose we can endure." Angeal tried to make the best of the situation and he looked around for a waitress. He saw Zack coming back to the table, returning from the bathroom. Of course, he had a topless girl on each arm and a broad grin on his face. The girls were helping him carry drinks back to the table and they seemed to adore the handsome young Soldier—or they adored his wallet.

"Hey guys! Seph, what are you doing?" Zack stared at the general as if gravely offended. "You can't read a _book_ in this place! Look at all the women surrounding you!"

Sephiroth glanced up and cast a disinterested look around the club. "Yes...we're surrounded by half-naked women. What exactly do you expect me to do about that, Fair?"

Zack thanked his lady companions and took the drinks from them, setting them on the table. "What guys are supposed to do at strip clubs, man! _Look_ at them! Get lap dances! Stuff money in their g-strings! Buy drinks for them!"

"Waste a month's pay on ladies I won't be sleeping with," corrected Sephiroth. "I'll put the book away, but I have no interest in interacting with these females."

Zack shook his head. "You're hopeless. What about you, Ange? Want a lap dance? My treat." He whistled at the brunette with the perky breasts that had helped him bring the drinks to the table. "Hey, could you give my friend a lap dance?"

"N-no, thank you Zack," declined Angeal. His chiseled features revealed his horror at the thought. "I'm not interested in a lap dance."

"Aww, come on," coaxed Zack. "You never go on dates and you just bum around the ShinRa building when you're not on assignment. A little time with a woman won't kill you!"

"You're embarrassing him, Zackary," advised Sephiroth with a glance at Angeal. "We agreed to accompany you on this...endeavor. None of us agreed to let strippers undulate in our laps."

Zack sighed and shrugged, putting an arm around the smiling girl that he'd been ready to pay to dance for Angeal. "Fine...that just leaves more for me. Where's Gen at, anyway? Maybe _he'll _get a lap dance with me."

Sephiroth snorted and glanced sidelong at Angeal. "Doubtful."

At the mention of his lover, Angeal became concerned. Genesis had gone to the bathroom shortly after Zack left to go, but he hadn't returned yet. They had arranged for he and Genesis to go out on the town with Zack—which incidentally compounded his humiliation, as the authorities knew exactly where they were. If Genesis took it into his head to escape this situation, the authorities would track him down and charge him with violating his parole.

Zack suddenly perked up and grinned. "Oh, there he is. See? _He_ knows how to have fun. Huh...I kind of thought he was gay, but I guess I was wrong."

Angeal and Sephiroth wore matching frowns of confusion as they followed Zack's gesture with their eyes. There stood Genesis Rhapsodos at one of the stripper platforms, holding a gil note between his teeth and leaning over the stage for the well-endowed blonde dancer to take it from him with _her_ teeth.

"Interesting," Sephiroth muttered, the expression on his angelic face probably the closest thing to surprise anyone would ever see.

Angeal literally had no words. He sputtered and stared at Genesis, wondering if perhaps the redhead's madness really _had_ returned—or maybe it never faded to begin with. Without saying a word, Angeal got out of his chair and made his way across the room, squeezing past other patrons and topless waitresses.

"Genesis," he called when he made it to the other man's side, "What in hell are you _doing_?"

Genesis let the stripper have his gil and he shrugged at Angeal, leaning close to speak to him without being overheard. "I'm doing what all of these drooling idiots are doing, Hewley. _You're_ the one always begging me not to draw un-necessary attention to myself, so I'm blending in." He nodded at Sephiroth, who still sat at the table, watching them with curious green eyes. "You and our falcon should take a page from my book. The two of you look utterly out of place in here, between him reading his book and you acting like you'll catch the plague if a female rubs up against you."

"I just...it's objectifying," protested Angeal uncomfortably. "My mother raised me to respect women and—"

"—And you're in an establishment designed to objectify them—and the fools who toss money at them—to the business owner's best advantage," interrupted Genesis, "I might add that these ladies _chose_ this line of work. If anything, you're disrespecting them more by sulking and refusing to play along."

Angeal couldn't quite understand that logic, even as he couldn't deny it.

"I'll never grasp your way of thinking," he muttered. "But I'll try not to be so...obvious."

"Good. Now quit staring at me before people think we're gay."

* * *

The night eventually passed, much to the relief of everyone except Zack. He was unsteady on his feet by the time they left the club and Angeal half-carried him to the cab. He helped the corporal to his room when they made it back to headquarters, while Genesis went straight to Angeal's quarters to have a shower. The big man resisted a smirk at his boyfriend's eagerness to wash the smell of the club off of his body, and once he got Zack into bed and secured in his room, he hurried back to his own quarters to join Gen in the shower.

* * *

A few days passed and true to his word, Genesis made a conscious effort to be civil at his next psychiatric evaluation. He reclined on the couch with a dramatic sigh and the doctor sat down and began. "Now, Mr. Rhapsodos, the last time we were in here, you were quite hostile. Do you think you're ready to work with me?"

"Yes, doctor." Genesis mentally recited "Loveless" in his head while he waited for the next question.

"Good. Why don't you tell me how you're feeling?"

"I feel fine," answered the Soldier. "How are you?" He found a coin in his pocket and he started to flip it into the air, watching it spin end-over-end.

"I'm feeling fine too," answered Doctor Sato. "Thank you for asking. Now, would you care to give me more details on that? You seemed to have a lot of anger, when we last spoke. I'd like to help you deal with that, if you'll let me."

"There's really nothing to deal with," said Genesis. "I got it out of my system."

"All the same, I would like for you to talk to me about the reasons for that anger, even if you summarize it for me."

Genesis sighed and begged Minerva for patience as he caught the coin. He kept picturing Angeal's face staring down at him as he watched the spinning ceiling fan blades overhead and he knew the big man would remind him that as soon as he got a clean evaluation, he wouldn't have to suffer through this bullshit anymore.

"I'm angry about being lied to. I'm angry at the company, because the lies started with them. I'm frustrated to be in this situation and I'm also a little hungry."

"Mm-hmm. All of that sounds perfectly reasonable to me. I have a tuna sandwich here in my lunch box. I'd be happy to split it with you, if you like."

Genesis frowned and caught the coin again. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask the man if he was aware he was too old to be carrying a "lunch box" around, but he heard it open and he smelled the tuna when he unwrapped the sandwich. His stomach rumbled and he turned his head to look at the doctor. Sato was holding up two halves of a sandwich, offering one of them to him.

"Mother always warned me not to take candy from strangers," Genesis said, unable to resist a bit of sarcasm.

"This isn't candy and I'm no stranger," countered the older man calmly. "I'll take the first bite, if you're afraid I've drugged it."

Genesis considered the offer, holding the doctor's gaze. Finally, he shrugged and sat up to take half of the sandwich. "Don't think I'm not aware of the subtle purpose behind this."

"And what purpose would that be?"

Genesis smirked and lifted the bread to examine the contents of the sandwich. "Wild beasts are tamed through a process of steps…usually beginning with food."

"But you're no beast," protested the doctor.

Genesis glanced up from the sandwich. "That would depend on whom you ask, doctor. Humans are animals and animals are beasts." He smirked, his mind going to completely inappropriate places. Actually the 'beast' was Angeal, and that was just how he liked it.

"You're a very interesting young man, Genesis." The doctor took a bite of his half of the sandwich.

Genesis took a bite of his half too, saying nothing.

* * *

And so it progressed day by day until finally, Dr. Sato reported that he was satisfied that it was safe for Genesis to resume his duties—under observation, of course. The probation was lifted and he no longer had to wear an electronic tracking device. Angeal moved up a rank within a few months and Zack started to help with the training of recruits. There was some decent cash flow coming in for the SOLDIER program and the ranks began to build back up again. Sephiroth's reliance on Hojo's treatments waned until he finally mastered the ability to shut out or at least muffle Jenova's voice, enough not to require the intervention any longer.

The lack of expected visits from the general began to trouble the professor, and he called Sephiroth into his lab when he knew his schedule wasn't busy. Hojo studied the silver-haired young man quietly when he arrived and he shooed his assistants out so that he could speak privately with him.

"I'd appreciate it if you would get straight to the point," Sephiroth informed him in a bored tone. "I still have duties to fulfill, this afternoon."

"Of course, of course," Hojo responded in a wheedling tone. "I called you in here because I'm concerned for your well-being, my boy. I haven't _seen_ you in over three months now, except in passing. It's very unusual for you to go for this long without treatment." He narrowed his eyes on the Soldier, looking him up and down for any suspicious signs of change.

"Everything is fine," Sephiroth assured him, gazing at him levelly. His serpentine eyes were unreadable, as was his marble expression. "I know how relieved that must make you."

"Er...yes." Not for the first time over the past year, Hojo felt ill at ease. "Tell me, has the voice remained dormant, or has it simply been quiet enough to endure without my treatment?"

Sephiroth crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. "I just don't listen to it, anymore."

Hojo frowned. "That isn't possible."

"Isn't it?" The general looked darkly amused. "Why, because _you_ say so? I think it's time for you to accept that you aren't as in control as you like to believe, Professor."

Hojo could appreciate the truth behind that, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. Everything was unraveling bit by bit, and he had reason to believe that Sephiroth suspected something about the pet project in Sector zero. He kept his calm and he gave the Soldier an oily smile.

"I'm only trying to protect you, Sephiroth. You are, after all, my pride and joy." He decided to test it. "Jenova? Can you hear me? Are you—"

"She won't answer you," interrupted Sephiroth with a frown. "Because I won't _let_ her. You have no power over me any longer, Hojo. I suggest you get used to that fact and have a care not to cross me, from now on. Your usefulness to this company is the only thing staying my hand."

"Is that a _threat,_ boy?" Hojo began to reach for the security button under his data desk as Sephiroth approached him, those emerald eyes locked on his. "I created you. Do you think _you_ have power over _me_?"

Sephiroth's masamune swung out before Hojo could even begin to press the button and the scientist froze, his black eyes going wide behind his glasses as the razor-sharp blade stopped just short of decapitating him. He didn't even feel the cut it made as it rested against his throat, but he felt the trickle of blood. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed on him and the general uttered a low warning.

"I think I can kill you whenever it pleases me," assured the swordsman.

"Release me," demanded Hojo.

Sephiroth smiled coldly and the sword didn't withdraw.

"I said _release me_," urged the professor, his unease quickly giving way to fear.

"It seems your subliminal commands no longer work on me either," announced Sephiroth, sounding pleased. "I wondered. Now I have proof."

"Don't be a fool," urged Hojo, swallowing nervously. "If you kill me, you lose everything you've worked so hard to achieve and I'm your own flesh and blood!"

"Genesis didn't seem to mind killing his parents for their betrayal," mused the general impassively, holding the masamune steady. "And he tends to be more emotional than I am."

When Hojo had no response for that, Sephiroth finally lowered his blade. "As I said before, Professor, I recognize that your work is still required in this company. Consider this a reminder that you don't own me. Have a pleasant afternoon."

With that said, Sephiroth turned on his heal and walked out of the lab, leaving Hojo pressing one hand over his bleeding neck and staring after him. When he was gone, the professor got to work on his data logs immediately.

"He can't have obliterated _all_ of it," muttered Hojo. "The deeper suggestions I've implanted can't just be..._wiped out_...so easily! How did he do it? How did he subdue the Ancient and how did he overcome my basic commands? I _must_ know!"

He kept muttering to himself as he went over his well-hidden, encrypted notes for any clues he might have missed. If he was losing control of Sephiroth, then he would need to come up with a way to protect himself. All he could see in those slit pupils was his own death, despite Sephiroth assuring him that he understood the importance of his continued research. Hojo's control over the situation was slipping steadily and if he could no longer command his actions, he could not guarantee that Sephiroth wouldn't one day decide to turn on him completely. He hated him; there was no doubt about it.

"I will _not_ allow myself to be slaughtered by my own specimen."

Hojo wracked his substantially gifted brain for options. He could always try to create a new specimen to defend him from Sephiroth...possibly a superior one. That process could take years, however—and he was being watched. The other alternative was to implant suggestions into the mind of an existing specimen. Of course, there were none as perfect as Sephiroth, but Hollander's boy and Rhapsodos weren't _total_ losses, now that their deterioration was corrected. Genesis in particular had untapped potential—as evidence showed with the project Hojo had taken over when Hollander went rogue. Of everyone in SOLDIER, that hulking Angeal and his poetic companion were the only two likely to pose a real challenge to Sephiroth in a fight—unless one counted Zack Fair, who was improving day by day.

"But Fair has an uncooperative genome," grumbled Hojo. "Are his wits too thick to be penetrated by subliminal command, as well?"

The more he thought of it, the more he came to believe that the idea of using Zack as a defensive measure was a bad one. The pup could barely listen to regular commands without getting distracted. Subliminal ones weren't likely to be any difference. Hewley might not be the best subject, either. The big man's stubborn sense of honor was so deeply ingrained, even implanted suggestions might not be able to compromise it.

That left Rhapsodos. "But the question is, how to _access_ him?" Hojo mused to himself, tapping his pointer finger against his thin upper lip. Genesis wasn't likely to come into his lab of his own free will, and attempting to catch the man by surprise to drug him would likely be a suicide mission.

"I haven't lost complete control yet," reasoned Hojo in a whisper. "I have time. An opportunity will arise, sooner or later."

His phone went off and he answered it eagerly when he saw the ID that showed up. "Mr. President, I've been meaning to speak with you about something. I'm afraid my research progress will be hampered, unless you can intervene."

* * *

Lazard certainly wasn't expecting a visit from his father. He had no chance to prepare; his secretary didn't even buzz him to tell him the man was coming. President Shinra used his master keycard to unlock Lazard's office door and he walked in with the arrogant self-assurance of a man that spent his life in privilege. Lazard was working on the SOLDIER payroll and he was just about to take a bite out of his deli wrap when the rotund blond man came in, with Heidegger at his side.

Lazard put his food down and stood up, forcing himself to be cordial despite his burning resentment. "President," he greeted. "Mr. Heidegger. I wasn't informed you were coming."

"I'll get straight to the point," President Shinra said, brushing off Lazard's hint at the breach of protocol. "You've placed Professor Hojo under investigation without informing me, haven't you?"

Lazard swore inwardly. "Yes. I didn't want to burden you with it. I thought after the events with Hollander—"

"Call off the investigation," interrupted Shinra. "Immediately."

Lazard frowned. "Sir, I have good reason to believe that Hojo is involved in some underground operation, conducting illegal experiments with Mako. I think until it can be confirmed that he isn't, he should be closely monitored."

"You'll do as I tell you to do," demanded the president harshly, "and I'm telling you to call off this investigation! Professor Hojo has my trust, and I promised him complete autonomy. I won't have you impeding his work over a hunch brought about by your dislike of the man, and you've already pushed your authority far enough. Don't ask me for more favors, Deusericus. My patience is wearing thin."

Lazard glanced at Heidegger, who was wearing a lopsided grin on his bearded, ruddy face. The head of Public Safety seemed pleased—probably because he still resented Lazard for getting some company funds re-directed to SOLDIER, rather than the standard military. He knew he couldn't win this argument. His father was clearly convinced that Hojo wasn't a liability like Hollander, and he foolishly believed the threat was gone now that the latter was locked away and Rhapsodos was back in the "fold". Lazard was too worldly to keep pushing a battle he knew he couldn't win openly, so he conceded as gracefully as possible.

"Whatever you think is best, President Shinra." He gave a respectful nod, keeping his true feelings carefully concealed.

"Good." The older man seemed pacified by the show of cooperation. "See it done immediately, Director."

"Of course." Lazard watched the two men leave together and he gritted his teeth when Heidegger blurted that awful horse's laugh of his.

* * *

Lazard arranged a meeting between himself, Sephiroth, Genesis, Angeal and Zack that night, after he obeyed the president's order and called off the investigation on Hojo. He insisted on meeting everyone away from Headquarters, where there was no chance of anyone listening in on their conversation. They met up at a run down motel under the plate in sector seven and Genesis did an interesting little jig to stomp a couple of cockroaches when they approached the door to the room Lazard had rented. Angeal knocked and the curtain in the window fluttered to reveal Lazard's bespectacled face briefly. The door unlocked and the blond SOLDIER director ushered them all in, keeping an eye on the parking lot behind them.

"Thank you for coming. Until I have the opportunity to thoroughly search my office for bugs, I couldn't risk a meeting there. You weren't followed?"

"Nah, we took the sewers," Zack said.

Lazard frowned at him.

"Kidding," Zack said, spreading his hands. "We took a cab."

"If anyone followed us, they deserve to find us here," Genesis remarked as he shut the door behind him. He brushed imaginary dirt off his newly tailored jacket—which looked exactly like his old red leather jacket. "We were careful."

"What is this about?" Angeal asked somberly. He and Sephiroth didn't share Zack and Genesis' sarcastic attitude about the impromptu meeting.

"I assume it has something to do with your order to cease surveillance of Hojo," guessed Sephiroth.

Lazard nodded and checked outside the window once more before gesturing at the beds. "Please, have a seat. I'd offer chairs, but as you can see, there aren't any."

Genesis took one look at the twin beds and grimaced. "I prefer to stand, thank you. Who knows what sort of fluids those sheets has erstwhile absorbed? Not to mention the strong possibility of bed bugs and lice."

Zack was halfway in the process of sitting down when Genesis said that, and the brunet changed his mind and stood back up with a mistrustful look at the bed. He scratched his sooty, spiked hair and frowned at the thought of lice. "I think I'll stand too."

Angeal and Sephiroth likewise remained standing and the general regarded Lazard with quiet curiosity. "I nearly came to speak with you the moment you gave the order," he said, "but my time in working with you has taught me you rarely do things without a good reason. So, let's hear what that reason is, Director."

"President Shinra would be the reason for that." Lazard slipped his hands into the pockets of his pinstripe blue trousers and sighed. "He came to me today and gave me a direct order to cease the investigation on Hojo, immediately. I tried to reason with him but I got nowhere. I can only assume that the professor lodged a complaint and for whatever reason, my f—the president sided with him. He wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer."

Angeal sighed. "Hojo must have influenced him, somehow. That man has a strange way of getting people to do what he wants."

"Yeah," agreed Zack, sobering. "Why else would President Shinra risk the security of his own company? Hojo and Hollander are two sides of the same coin, if you think about it. Just because one of them got caught and is in custody doesn't mean the other one's in the clear. Old man Shinra might be greedy, but I never thought he was stupid."

"No," agreed Lazard, "he's definitely not stupid, more is the pity. The president is shrewd; but he's also arrogant. He thinks his judgment is infallible and Hojo has him convinced he's trustworthy."

"Or the president is involved in whatever Hojo's up to," Sephiroth murmured, narrowing his eyes. "SOLDIER unit 14: Lost Force. Do you remember me asking you about that, Director?"

"Yes." Lazard's brow furrowed. "What does it have to do with Hojo or the president? Have you found new information?"

"No," answered the general, "but given all the different branches of the company, I've long suspected that someone in charge knows something about it. You and Reeve are clear, but I can't confirm the same for the other executives—including the president."

"It isn't beyond the realm of possibility that the president would conduct a secret operation of some sort without informing me," sighed Lazard. "If he were to share such a thing with either of us, Rufus would be his first choice."

"So all the executives except Lazard and Reeve might be in on a big conspiracy?" Zack's face screwed up.

"Where is the proof?" demanded Angeal sternly. "I'm sorry, Sephiroth, but this is all in theory. Hojo is a likely suspect but we'll just work ourselves into paranoia if we assume everyone outside SOLDIER is in on something nefarious."

"Why not?" Genesis asked with a shrug. "You saw how they all behaved at that damned summit. I wouldn't find it too difficult to believe that most of them were involved in something pungent. Of course, it stands to reason that if we presume it has to do with Hollander, he might have some information for us."

"But will he share it?" asked Lazard.

They all looked at each other thoughtfully.

"I think I can convince him to talk," Angeal said grimly. "I'll pay him a visit tomorrow."

* * *

"All I can tell you is that some of Genesis' samples were being used in genetic splicing procedures," Hollander obliged when Angeal arranged a visitation with him and questioned him. "I was replaced by Hojo before I could learn much more than that."

Angeal didn't even have to threaten him. Hollander was much more cooperative these days—possibly because he saw the potential in getting back at Hojo through cooperation with Angeal.

"Why would they want to use Genesis' samples?" Angeal queried. "He was 'unstable', until you found the solution to change that."

"True, but his cells had untapped potential," answered the doctor. "To the best of my knowledge, the president was considering using favorable results to further enhance SOLDIER operatives. You would be wise to have Professor Hojo monitored, Angeal."

Angeal frowned, but he refrained from informing Hollander that the president ordered all official investigative measures against Hojo stopped. "Have you told me the truth, Hollander? Can I trust any of this information you've given me?"

"I have no reason to lie to you," answered the older man. "Not anymore."

Angeal sighed. It didn't bring them any closer to finding out what was going on, but it did lend credence to Sephiroth's suspicion that the president was somehow involved. "Thank you."

* * *

Angeal reported his findings to Lazard, first. Having confirmed that there were no hidden monitors of any sort in the director's office, it was now safe to do so there.

"So we can safely presume that there is a government conspiracy happening beneath our noses," Lazard said after discussing the matter with Angeal. "Wonderful."

"It feels like conspiracies have ruled my entire life," murmured the big Soldier. "This isn't so different."

"Well, there's not much we can do about it openly," sighed the director. "My father made it clear that he doesn't want me or this department interfering with anything Hojo does. That means we'll have to resort to some covert doings ourselves, if we're to keep an eye on the professor. To do that, I'm afraid we need someone with more impressive hacking skills than ours."

Angeal frowned in thought. "What about Tuesti? He's known for being technologically savvy, isn't he?"

"With engineering," answered Lazard. "I'm not sure that would carry over to computer hacking, but considering he's probably the only executive we can trust right now, we might be best off speaking with him about it."

Angeal nodded. Even if they uncovered some mass conspiracy, he wondered what they could do about it. SOLDIER was overseen by Lazard, but the program belonged to the company, above all.

* * *

-To be continued


	13. Chapter 13

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter thirteen: Changes

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note:_**_ Just a reminder that some time skipping will be necessary for the plot of this story._

* * *

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.

* * *

"So you see, Reeve, our avenues are finite," finished Lazard. "Do you think you could help us?"

Reeve looked between the SOLDIER director and Sephiroth, undecided. He really didn't want to get mixed up in a conflict, but in truth, it was too little, too late. He'd been aware that certain departments were in a different "click" for some time, and Lazard was much more on the level with him than the president, the VP or any of the other execs.

Reeve sat back in his office chair. He was probably one of the few in the company who could say with confidence that his office wasn't bugged. "You want me to hack into the system? Can you be a little more specific about what I should be monitoring?"

Lazard hesitated, his blond brows drawing together over the lenses of his glasses. Seeing his inner conflict, Sephiroth obliged. "Hojo, specifically. We believe he's involved in something covert. We also believe the president could be involved."

"Maybe even the other departments," added Lazard after a moment's thought, before Reeve could answer him. "But Hojo is more dangerous than the rest of them, and he's also the most clever."

Reeve grimaced. "No argument there. He's madder than a clock-maker, but he's slick."

He leaned back in his chair again and he absently scratched his chin. He thought about the things Hojo had done to Vincent and it was easy to imagine him being involved in some nefarious government plot. The president was just greedy enough to let it make him stupid, and Hojo had an insidious tongue. He glanced over at the fortune telling machine he'd bought at the flea market out of curiosity. The cat and mog combo would make an interesting conversation piece at parties, but he'd started to consider other possibilities for them. His ideas could wait; they were far-fetched anyway. The situation with Hojo and the president demanded immediate attention and Reeve had been feeling stirrings of dread lately, himself.

"All right, Deusericus. I'm curious myself to find out what they might be up to. If a conspiracy is going to segregate this company further, I'd rather know about it beforehand and check out my options."

Lazard nodded. "Wisely put."

* * *

Later that evening, Reeve visited Vincent in the dilapidated house in the slums where the gunman was staying. He explained the meeting he'd had earlier that day with Lazard and Sephiroth. He sipped his tea and watched his friend expectantly, having come to value Vincent's opinion.

"Aren't you worried about giving me this information?" Vincent finally said in his low, resonant voice.

Reeve smirked. "Why, are you planning to run off and warn Hojo?"

Vincent looked down at the golden claw resting in his lap. "Hmph. Of all the things I'd like to do to him, warning that his secrets are in danger of being exposed isn't one of them. Still, you took a risk." Vincent's ruby gaze lifted from his hand and pierced Reeve. "I know what the Turk department is capable of, Reeve. I used to be one of them. If they've been trailing you and the general and seeing you come here, it's going to raise questions."

"Nobody's been trailing me," insisted Reeve. "I haven't been followed."

Vincent didn't look convinced. "Can you say that for certain?"

Reeve shrugged. "Nothing in life is _certain_, but if someone's been spying on me and Sephiroth without either of us detecting it, there's no point worrying about it now. I've got an excuse if any questions come up. My mother used to live in this part of town and plenty of family friends still do."

Vincent nodded, lowering his eyes in contemplation. "I had forgotten you rose through the ShinRa ranks from poverty."

"I'm thankful for that," answered Reeve truthfully. "It's given me a broader perspective of the world. Most of those suits have no idea how profoundly ShinRa politics affect the working class population, and even if they do, they don't care." Reeve sighed and gazed into his teacup. "To them, they're all just ants. They don't see the symbiosis in their own relationship with them. Without the 'little guys', the rich have nothing."

"True," agreed Vincent, "but they have _you_ to look out for them."

Reeve gave him a brief smile, and he sat a bit straighter. "Yes, they do. You know Vincent, you don't need to hang around here. I have a perfectly fine apartment on the upper plate and you're more than welcome to stay there with me. I have a spare bedroom."

"I would be tempted to take your offer," answered the gunman as he got off the couch and walked over to the window, "if I intended to stay in Midgar."

Reeve frowned up at him. "Planning on going somewhere?"

Vincent nodded and glanced back over his shoulder at him, letting the ratty curtain fall back into place. "I'm returning to Nibelheim, tomorrow. I've taught Sephiroth all I can and he has his situation under control, now. You have everything handled on your end. I'm no longer needed."

Reeve got up and crossed the room to him. "You don't have to go back into your coffin, Vincent. There's a whole world out here, a whole life you could be living. Stop hiding from it."

"I'm not hiding."

"Bullshit." Reeve sighed and combed his fingers through his dark hair. "Vincent, it's not good for you, hibernating like that. Can't you at least _try_ to live a little?"

"It's not that simple," insisted Vincent softly. He turned to face Reeve full-on, and his ruby gaze was troubled. "If I stay here, I'll eventually seek him out."

Reeve didn't need to ask who "he" was. "I understand how you feel, but—"

"No, you don't," interrupted Vincent. "You can't. You haven't lived through what I have. You haven't _lost_ what I've lost to him. Don't ask me to put it behind me, Reeve. It isn't possible."

The executive deflated, having no argument against that. Of _course_ he couldn't know what it was like for his friend. Who could truly know that, except for Vincent himself? He sighed and reached out, laying a supportive hand on Vincent's shoulder.

"I can see I won't change your mind, but would you at least let me escort you home?"

Vincent shrugged, the expression on his sculpted, pale face somewhat curious. "If you like. I don't mind your company."

Reeve smirked. It was the closest thing to an admittance of fondness he was ever likely to get from the man.

* * *

The next day, Reeve and Vincent took an airship to Modeoheim. The suited executive contrasted interestingly with his pale, caped friend as they walked into town together and entered the mansion. Both men were quietly pensive, walking in companionable silence through the musty halls. It wasn't until they reached the basement and the coffin room that Reeve found his voice again.

"Well, this is it. You're sure I can't convince you not to crawl back into that thing?" He gave a nod at the waiting coffin.

A bare hint of a smile curved the gunman's lips, briefly. "You're the first to ever come close to changing my mind, Reeve, but no. I just want to sleep."

Reeve sighed again and gestured. "Then your coffin awaits. I'll be sure to lock up on my way out."

Vincent climbed into the coffin and looked at him as he lay down. "Thank you, my friend. Maybe we'll see each other again, some day."

Reeve helped him put the lid onto the coffin, at a loss for anything to say to that. Once it was shut, he slowly lowered his forehead to the surface and he groaned quietly.

"I'm such a coward," he whispered, his breath stirring dust.

He'd allowed a perfect opportunity to slip by, again. Maybe it was for the best. He had no reason to believe his feelings would be reciprocated, even if he were to confess them.

* * *

Reeve had to explain to Sephiroth that Vincent wasn't there anymore, by the end of the week. He realized his friend had never explained to the general that he was leaving, when he found Sephiroth preparing to leave HQ and realized what day it was.

"He left?" The young swordsman's silvery brows hedged briefly in a subtle expression of confusion. "When?"

"Earlier this week," answered Reeve. "He said he's taught you all he can and he had...business...to take care of."

"You mean he had a coffin to return to," guessed Sephiroth dryly.

Reeve shrugged. "I couldn't explain his reasoning to you. He seemed to think you have everything under control. Was he wrong about that?" He looked up at the taller man with searching brown eyes, hoping Vincent's judgment wasn't off.

The serpentine gaze was level and opaque. "No, he wasn't wrong about that. I was prepared to continue my training with him, but I share his feelings that he's taught me all I need to know. I would have liked to offer him my gratitude, before he left."

Reeve was mildly surprised. Gratitude from Sephiroth in any capacity was a rare thing, but he knew Vincent wouldn't have been comfortable with it. "I'm sure he knows you appreciate his help, General. The important thing is that you're in control of yourself. We all have a lot of work to do around here."

"Especially you," agreed Sephiroth with a nod. "We need to know everything that's happening in the background of this company, as quickly as possible."

"I know," Reeve sighed. It seemed like he was doing a lot of sighing, lately. "Just don't expect immediate results. Midgar wasn't built in a day, you know."

"Just do your best."

Reeve recognized an order when he heard one, tactful though it was. It was time to get started.

* * *

Days passed into weeks, and weeks passed into months. While Reeve did his best to hack into the system and spy on the President and the other departments, Sephiroth returned to active duty and eventually, Genesis and Angeal were taken off probation. Life seemed to be returning to normal for those in SOLDIER, at least on the surface. Having decided to try and move on after his break up with Cissnei, Zack started dating different girls. He didn't try to commit to any of them, as he was convinced that his career made it too complicated and he wasn't ready to try again anyhow.

Angeal subtly advised Zack to be careful with his escapades, not only for his reputation but for his physical health, as well. Genesis wasn't so subtle. He threw a box of condoms at the younger Soldier in the hallway one day, right in front of a group of passing female cadets.

"Catch, Loverboy," called the redhead.

Zack awkwardly caught the box and fumbled with it, barely avoiding getting hit in the face. He blushed furiously when he saw what it was and the girls passing him giggled. "Uh..."

"If you're going to play in the rain," suggested Genesis, "have the sense to put on a coat. I'd rather not listen to you complaining about how it burns when you pee."

Angeal came up behind Genesis, catching the tale-end of the conversation. He crossed his muscular arms over his chest and shook his head as his student took off down the hall, speechless for once.

"Classy."

Genesis smirked at him. "I'm only trying to protect your puppy, Angeal. You should be the one having 'the talk' with him, anyway."

"I've already spoken to him about practicing safety measures," assured Angeal. "You didn't need to publicly humiliate him, like that."

"I disagree," countered Genesis, his aqua gaze serious. "Being publicly ousted for his tomcatting may be just what Fair needs. It may be brutal, but I think an occasional reminder of what can come of dipping his wick with impunity is in order. Unless of course you'd rather wait until he gets the clap to realize that fact."

Angeal fought a grin and he patted his boyfriend on the shoulder. "You'd make a good mother, Gen."

He got the desired result; rendering Genesis speechless and gape-mouthed. Angeal checked his watch and walked away, hiding his smile as the other man stared after him.

"Up yours, Hewley," sputtered Genesis at last.

"We have a mission to do," reminded Angeal smoothly. "Are you coming, or not?"

The redhead grumbled, checked his blade and followed the bigger man. "More Wutaian rebels. You would think they'd have the wits to realize their terrorism won't change anything. Godo already signed that peace treaty and his little princess will be the child bride of a Turk, in a few years."

Angeal could have commented on the "child bride" remark and reminded him that the princess would be a legal adult when the wedding took place, but he let it slide. "Some people value freedom more than peace. These rebels obviously believe their cause is worth fighting for."

Genesis studied him thoughtfully. "You sound sympathetic."

Angeal shrugged his burly shoulders. "I admire their courage. I'm a Soldier, though. I'll follow my orders to the best of my ability, no matter how I feel about them."

Genesis nodded. "Ever the boyscout. I wonder though, if you were ordered to execute someone you thought was innocent, would you be able to go through with it?"

Angeal frowned. "I can't answer that question."

"No?" Genesis looked surprised. "You aren't going to vehemently insist that you'll follow your directive, even if you don't agree with it?"

"I could do that," agreed Angeal, "but it would be dishonest of me. You're asking me if I could commit an act of evil for the sake of following orders. I really don't know, Gen."

"Fair enough." Genesis adjusted his gloves and glanced at a cadet hurrying past them, obviously late for his training. "Men don't really know _what_ they're capable of, until a situation arises."

"Let's hope I never have to test myself that way," muttered Angeal.

Sephiroth was already waiting at the airport when they arrived, and he nodded in approval upon checking his watch. "Right on time. Let's get this over with."

Angeal and Genesis boarded the airship with him, and the big man asked for information as they took their seats inside the cabin. "What's the situation, General?"

"Approximately two dozen rebels, this time," obliged Sephiroth. "They've been coming down out of the hills, raiding small villages on the outskirts of the main city. Godo has requested SOLDIER intervention in an effort to avoid the political backlash of executing his own countrymen."

Genesis' brows furrowed. "But they're basically criminals. By dealing with them, he's _protecting_ his people."

"Wutai is on the verge of civil unrest," answered Sephiroth. "The rebels have the sympathy of the law abiding citizens, and if Godo can't bring them in without killing them, it won't sit well."

"So he's commissioned foreigners to do it," reasoned Angeal. "It makes sense. Seeing as Wutai is technically under the jurisdiction of ShinRa, Godo can wash his hands of it and leave it to us to deal with. It doesn't matter if the citizens hate us or not."

Sephiroth nodded. "Exactly. The three of us should be able to handle this quickly. Sending in a large force of militia would cause undue alarm to the civilian population."

"That seems like a reasonable plan," approved Genesis. "Hopefully these fools will give up before we have to kill them."

"I wouldn't count on it," answered Sephiroth. The airship's engines started up and he braced himself as they began to lift off. His eyes scanned Genesis with interest. "Given your rebellious nature, I'm a little surprise you aren't more sympathetic to these people."

Genesis shrugged and he produced his crimson-bladed sword to check the blade for nicks and burrs. "I rebel when it makes sense to do so. There's rebellion and then there's sheer stupidity. What they're doing is the latter."

"You think fighting for their freedom is stupid?" Angeal asked.

Genesis snorted. "I think fighting for a lost cause is stupid. Like I said before, their acts of terrorism won't change anything. They're throwing their lives and their families away for nothing."

"You're welcome to try and convince them of that," invited Sephiroth, "but you aren't likely to succeed. This will end in bloodshed."

Genesis and Angeal both lapsed into silence, quietly agreeing with him. They would attempt to round them up for capture first, but they had orders to use deadly force if the rebels wouldn't come peacefully—and by the sounds of it, Godo hadn't had any luck so far with that.

* * *

While the three SOLDIER officers traveled to Wutai to take care of business there and Zack started a day of training a group of fresh recruits, a corporate meeting was taking place in the Midgar ShinRa headquarters. Rufus, Scarlet and Heidegger had traveled from Junon for the meeting, at the president's order. Hojo was there as well, representing the Science department. Reeve sat next to Lazard as the president paced the room and discussed recent spending cuts.

"This company is leaking too much money," he said, "and now that the war with Wutai is all but finished, we can afford to cut back on regular militia."

"Sir, is it wise to sacrifice security that way?" Scarlet asked. Her gaze went to Lazard. "You could redirect some of the finances from SOLDIER back into the army."

"I want to keep our specialized military in top shape," answered the President. "We can afford to lose some regular militia. SOLDIER is worth more to our organization."

Scarlet narrowed her eyes and scowled as Lazard gave her a brief, satisfied smirk. "Whatever you say, Mr. President."

"Let's get on with this meeting," said the president, dropping the matter. "If any of you have something to report, do it now. I have plans for this afternoon and I'd rather not be stuck in here all day. Deusericus, let's start with you. I'd like to know if my decision to increase funding to your department has done any good."

Lazard stood up and gave the older man a gracious nod. "The additional funds have made a moderate difference, sir. Next week we'll have another batch of cadets ready to receive their first Mako treatments. The department is recovering nicely and three of our best operatives are heading to Wutai to disperse a group of rebels, as we speak."

The president aimed a chubby finger at Lazard and smiled through his mustache. "_That's_ the sort of results I like to hear! I presume the General is amongst the group dispatched to Wutai?"

Lazard nodded. "Of course, sir. He's going with Hewley and Rhapsodos. I trust them to bring the situation under control quickly."

Heidegger cleared his throat. "The only one in that group that isn't out of his mind is Hewley."

"Our psychiatrists have thoroughly worked on both operatives," reminded Lazard calmly, "and they pronounced them stable. These men have always brought results in the past and I have faith that they will do so now. The President reinstated them, after all. Perhaps you should take it up with him if you think that was the wrong choice."

Heidegger glanced at President Shinra and immediately lost his bluster. He mumbled into silence and coughed. Reeve took the opportunity to speak up next, while the room was in a moment of silence.

"My news isn't as good as Director Lazard's, I'm afraid." He opened his briefcase and produced some printed documents from it, passing them around the table. "People have been coming up missing in Sectors five and seven. A _lot_ of people."

Palmer frowned at the document in his hand. "The slums?"

Rufus picked up on his point and he shrugged elegantly, wearing a look of boredom on his handsome face. "Derelicts go missing all the time, Tuesti. I don't see why this has you so alarmed."

Reeve clenched his jaw and visibly reigned in his temper. "Not in these numbers, Vice President. Look at the demographics I'm giving you. This is an unusual amount of disappearances in a very short time."

"He's right," announced Lazard, his blue-gray eyes troubled behind the lenses of his glasses. "This _is_ an excessive number of missing persons to come up within only a month's time."

The president looked at his copy of the documents, before giving Reeve a questioning look. "And what do you want me to do about this, Mr. Tuesti?"

"I'd like an investigation to happen," answered Reeve without hesitation. When the president looked like he might object, Reeve played another card. "We could have another serial killer in the slums, sir, and not all of these missing people are homeless. Over half of them are working class taxpayers."

Mention of their contribution to his wealth seemed to do the trick. The president hesitated for the space of two heartbeats, before giving a nod. "I'll see about sending someone to investigate."

Reeve gave a slight bow of respect. "Thank you, Mr. President."

"I would like the floor for a moment, if I may," Hojo said, reminding them all of his unsavory presence.

The president nodded at him. "Go ahead, Professor."

Hojo stood up and rubbed his hands together in that conniving way of his. "Someone has been attempting to hack into the Science department's network," he said, looking around at them all, "and I'm sure the same culprit has tried to hack into other departments, too."

Reeve felt a chill go down his spine as the professor's beady black gaze settled on him, but as he'd told Zack once before, he was good at bluffing when he had to. "Then it isn't just me?" He looked around with raised brows, plastering an expression of surprise on his face. "My firewall blocked an intruder just the other day. I figured it was just some punk seeing if he could hack the system, since my department doesn't have anything tactical to offer anyone. Director, have you had any security breeches in the SOLDIER database?"

Lazard looked a bit startled. Evidently, he wasn't capable of reading minds. "No. Not that I know of. SOLDIER is secure."

Reeve silently entertained thoughts of throttling Lazard for failing to pick up on his hint, but he could still work with what he had. "What about the rest of you?"

Rufus sat forward with a frown. "Actually, Reno said something about a virus last week, but he must have caught it and cleaned it, because he hasn't mentioned it since. Scarlet?"

She nodded. "My people have reported attempted security breaches over the past month, but they handled it." She looked at Hojo. "The professor's firewall is solid. Someone would have to be pretty damned good to break through it."

"I haven't seen any evidence of hacking in the Space Program," Palmer reported—to which Scarlet rolled her eyes.

"That's because there's nothing of _value_ in your department records to steal."

Before Palmer could object to that, Reeve spoke up again. "Interesting. It sounds like someone's systematically attacking most of the departments, or at least putting out feelers to see if they can crack the shell. Maybe they're looking for something specific."

The suspicion in Hojo's eyes faded, evidently put to rest by Reeve's act. "Then we'll just have to tighten security more. I won't have my research stolen."

"Good plan," agreed Reeve, though inwardly he was gritting his teeth. At least the risk of finger pointing appeared to be gone, for now. This was going to set him back, though.

When the SOLDIER officers returned from Wutai three days later, they reported that they had succeeded in routing the guerilla forces and capturing some of them alive for questioning. Genesis was unfortunately injured in the skirmish, and though he'd used cure materia to close up the sword cut, he was ordered to the infirmary for a full examination.

It was the opportunity Hojo had been waiting for. As soon as he got word that Rhapsodos was coming into the medical ward for examination, he insisted on being the one to see him. When the other doctor protested, he firmly reminded him that he'd been working with Mako enhanced patients for years, and he knew better than anyone how SOLDIER bodies worked. The other doctor backed down and Hojo contained his eagerness as he went to the examination room where Genesis waited.

The look on Rhapsodos' face was far from welcoming as Hojo entered the examination room, leaving the door open behind him. Genesis narrowed his aqua gaze on the older man in an unfriendly manner.

"I'd advise you to keep your hands to yourself, Professor," warned Genesis as Hojo put on a pair of latex gloves and examined his medical chart. "You might lose a finger."

Hojo clucked his tongue. "That's no way to speak to your doctor, young man. I'm here to see to your best interests, after all. Now, where is the injury?"

Genesis warily pulled his jacket open and lifted his shirt to present the freshly healing, thin scar on his torso. "Here. I don't know why they're making such an issue of it. The materia healed it just fine. I'd prefer a different doctor, if you don't mind."

"There is nobody available with my expertise on SOLDIER physiology," answered Hojo. "Relax, my boy. I consider you and your fellows to be an investment. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize your health. Now, hold still so I can have a look."

Genesis obeyed, though the look in his eye said that he wouldn't mind snapping Hojo's neck. Used to being reviled by people, the professor approached the examination table and adjusted the overhead light to have a better look at the injury. He stroked his gloved fingers over the surface of the scar tissue and nodded in satisfaction.

"Oh yes, it's healing nicely." He peered up at the operative's face and gave him an oily smile. "We can't be too careful with you, Rhapsodos. If we detect any signs that your degeneration is returning, we'll need to have you treated immediately. You wouldn't want to relive that trial again, would you?"

"Once was enough," agreed Genesis. He tugged his shirt back down as Hojo walked away and he kept his gaze unwavering on him. "Satisfied?"

"I'm satisfied that the wound is healing as it should be," answered Hojo, picking up his chart again, "but it seems you haven't had a vitamin shot in some time. Let's remedy that, before you go."

"I don't need one," argued Genesis. "I'm not suffering any deficiencies."

Hojo went to the supply cabinet, ignoring his objections. "Soldiers travel a lot," he reminded the redhead, "and its this department's duty to see to it that you're all in top shape. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, you know. I'd hate to have to report that you aren't cooperating, what with you only recently being taken off probation."

Genesis sighed. "Do your worse then, but be quick about it. I've come to loathe examination rooms."

Hojo smirked without comment. He finished filling the syringe and he covertly added something special from his own lab coat pocket to make the mixture just right. He glanced over his shoulder at his subject, who had taken out his precious playbook and was reading it silently, apparently bored. Perhaps Rhapsodos was wary of him, but he seemed to take comfort in the open door. Hojo applauded himself for that little bit of false sense of security. What he planned to do required all the fineness he could muster.

"Remove your jacket and present your arm, please."

Genesis shrugged out of the red coat, letting it pool around him on the examination table. He put his book down and held his left arm out, giving Hojo a look that warned his patience had limits. Hojo was well-accustomed to administering all manner of shots, and he knew how to inject a patient before they even had time to register the sting of the needle. He sterilized his chosen spot on the Soldier's bicep and he quickly administered the shot. Genesis didn't even flinch and Hojo patted him like he was a well-behaved chocobo.

"Good boy."

The redhead scowled at him. "Do I look like a pet dog to you, professor?"

The older man smirked. "That's essentially what you Soldiers are, young man; well-trained dogs."

"If we're dogs, then you're a snake," muttered Genesis. "Spooky old bastard."

"Sticks and stones, my boy...sticks and stones." Hojo heard a yawn come from the younger man and he resisted a smile. "How do you feel?"

"I'm...fine." Genesis frowned and shook his head, his pupils dilating as the drug Hojo snuck to him rapidly did its work. He stared at the professor, seeming to catch on that he'd done something to him, even with the influence of the sedative dulling his senses. "What else...was in that?"

"Just a mild sedative," answered Hojo breezily. "Nothing to be alarmed about, I promise. You need your rest to recover fully, Genesis."

"I didn't give...consent...to be drugged," protested Genesis. He started to get off the examination table, but he was forced to lean against it for balance. "You slimy...twisted little..."

Hojo approached him and supported him as his legs began to give out. "Now, now, Rhapsodos. Don't work yourself into a state. I've done nothing illegal, here. You just lie back and relax. You'll be free to go as soon as you get your rest."

Genesis tried to push him away, but the medication sapped his strength. He rolled onto the table and shut his eyes, unable to fight the effects of the powerful drug. "Get...away from me," he warned with a yawn.

Hojo patted his arm in a macabre fatherly gesture. "In due time, Genesis. Just as soon as we've had our chat."

Sephiroth went to check on his comrade, and when the lady at reception told him he was in examination room F with Hojo, he wasted no time going in there. He ignored the woman's calls as she asked him not to go down the corridor, his thoughts only on making sure Genesis wasn't left alone with Hojo. He was a bit surprised to find the examination room door wide open, and when he stepped into the room, he found Hojo sitting at the desk reading over some paperwork. Genesis was lying asleep on the examination table, apparently sedated.

"Ah, Sephiroth," greeted Hojo without looking up from his papers. "What brings you here, boy?"

"What did you do to him?"

Hojo raised his brows and glanced over his shoulder at the slumbering redhead. "Do? I examined him, as required by my job. You'll be happy to know there are no signs of his degeneration recurring."

"What _else_ did you do to him?" Sephiroth's glittering stare never left the older man's face.

Hojo sighed. "I gave him a long-overdue vitamin shot, along with a sedative. Injuries heal faster with rest, you know."

The general narrowed his eyes at him, and Hojo spread his hands as one wrongly accused. "What else would you like me to say, boy? I did what was necessary, no more and no less."

Sephiroth looked at Genesis again, and he approached the table. While Hojo frowned on, the silver-haired operative gathered his redheaded companion into his arms and lifted him off the table.

"What are you doing?" demanded Hojo.

"Taking him to his quarters," answered Sephiroth in a low, dangerous voice, "and I suggest you not try to stop me."

"I wouldn't dream of it," answered Hojo. He nodded at the book that fell out of Genesis' coat as Sephiroth picked him up. "You might not want to leave that behind, though. I understand Rhapsodos is particularly attached to that book."

Sephiroth cursed softly, his glowing green eyes flicking to Hojo before settling on the book.

"Allow me," offered the professor. He got off his stool and walked over to pick the book up off the floor. He set it on Genesis' slowly rising and falling chest before giving his "son" an unsavory grin. "There. You're welcome, boy."

Sephiroth's glare didn't waver. "If I find out you've done anything to him, you won't like the consequences."

Hojo resisted the urge to swallow. "Aren't we protective."

"My loyalty to my fellow officers is none of your concern," answered Sephiroth smoothly. He turned then, and he began carrying Genesis out of the examination room.

Hojo couldn't resist a parting comment. "How is your head, Sephiroth? Still managing the voice?"

Sephiroth paused at the threshold, half-turned and gave Hojo the most chilling, unholy smile the professor had ever seen—save once, on another man's similarly sculpted face. "It's dead quiet in here now, Professor. Thank you for your concern."

This time, Hojo couldn't resist swallowing, and when Sephiroth left the room, he started to tremble. "No matter," he whispered to himself. "I have my contingency plan in place. Everything is under control."

* * *

Angeal wasn't a man that swore often, but seeing his lover unconscious in Sephiroth's arms when he opened his door was enough to bring it out in him.

"What the hell? Gen, are you okay?"

"He's sedated," explained Sephiroth as Angeal stepped aside to give him room. He carried the unconscious redhead in and laid him on the bed. He explained what happened to Angeal as he took Genesis' boots off to make him more comfortable.

"Hojo slipped something to him when he gave him a 'vitamin' shot. I collected him as soon as I found out Hojo was the one examining him."

Angeal loomed over Genesis and he stroked a lock of auburn hair away from his left eye. After all their ordeals, he shared Sephiroth's suspicions. "What else did he do to him?"

"I don't know," answered the general truthfully. "He claimed to have done nothing more than examine him and administer the shot, but we both know what he's capable of. If it were another doctor, I might have presumed he sedated him to shut him up, since Genesis tends to run off at the mouth. Hojo is another matter."

Angeal shut his eyes and rubbed them with the heels of his palms. "I _told_ him to ask for anyone except Hojo. Why doesn't he ever listen?"

"Hojo has a way of putting forth very convincing arguments," defended Sephiroth, "and knowing Genesis, he just wanted to get in and out of there as quickly as possible. He probably didn't see any real threat, seeing as they were in the clinic and not the lab."

Angeal relaxed a little. "Then maybe we're worrying over nothing."

"Maybe," agreed Sephiroth, looking down at the oblivious redhead. "Just watch him for any signs of odd behavior, for a few days."

"Absolutely," agreed Angeal. Seeing that Sephiroth was preparing to leave, he followed him to the door. "Thank you for getting him out of there, all the same."

Sephiroth nodded. "I have a meeting to attend, so I'll check in on him later."

Angeal glanced outside before speaking in a lowered voice. "What's the status with that, anyhow?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "Nothing solid, yet. It's proving to be more difficult than first suspected, but efforts will continue."

Angeal nodded in understanding. Reeve was a genius with mechanics and networking, but he was going up against a mad scientist and a corporation with countless secrets. It was going to take time, and he was happy not knowing the details.

* * *

Sephiroth met up with Lazard in Reeve's office, a short while later. The head of the Urban Development department leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes as he explained his progress—or lack thereof.

"Hojo's got these systems wrapped up tighter than a mummy, and he's going to wrap it up even tighter, now. By the way, Lazard, you were supposed to say your firewall blocked an attacker recently too."

Lazard frowned at him. "Pardon?"

"In the board meeting earlier," elaborated the older man. "When Hojo announced that someone's been trying to hack his network. I lied and said I caught someone doing it to mine and you should have said the same thing when I asked you. It would have alleviated any suspicion cast your way."

"Oh." Lazard rubbed obviously tired eyes as well. "I'm sorry, I didn't get that memo. I don't think Hojo suspected me anyway. I'm not known for being particularly computer savvy."

"But you are known for being well-off enough to hire someone who is," countered Reeve. "Nobody seems to suspect you yet, but I'd advise you to put in a bogus hacking attempt report, all the same. It's reasonable to assume any outside factions trying to hack these departments would have gone after SOLDIER files. They would probably make it a priority, in fact."

"I see what you mean." Lazard removed his glasses and he began to clean the lenses with a soft cloth from his vest pocket. "I'll do as you suggest."

"Sooner would be better than later," answered Reeve.

Sephiroth changed the subject. "Have you managed to find any new information yet, Tuesti?"

"Nothing of value," answered Reeve unhappily. "Unless you want to hear about the President's scheduled illicit affairs."

Lazard looked away with a frown and Reeve winced, realizing he'd just put his foot into his mouth. Lazard had told him about his ties to the president just recently. "Sorry."

The SOLDIER director sighed and shook his head. "Don't be. I have no illusions about the kind of man he is. I'm sure I'm not the only bastard child he's sired."

Before Reeve could offer any comforting words, Sephiroth reminded them that they had more important matters to discuss. "You need to work faster, Reeve."

Reeve spread his hands with a shrug. "Right. Work faster. The problem is, you can't squeeze blood from a turnip. I'm already giving it everything I've got, and if I push any harder, I'm going to get caught. I've got to watch what I'm doing, General. I'm putting myself at substantial risk, here."

"I understand that," assured Sephiroth, a hint of frustration creeping into his tone, "I'm just encouraging you to explore any avenues you haven't tried yet. The sooner we find out what's going on, the sooner we can put a stop to it."

Reeve grunted and glanced at his computer screen. He couldn't help but wonder if the recent increase in missing persons might be related to whatever secrets ShinRa was hiding. "I'll keep at it, but you might have to accept the possibility that Hojo's security is too strong for me to break down. Short of hooking myself up to the computer to communicate directly with the network, I...I..." He trailed off with a frown and he looked harder at the screen.

"What is it?" demanded Lazard.

"Reeve?" Sephiroth questioned when the executive didn't answer immediately.

A slow, intrigued smile spread over Reeve's lips. "I just got a really interesting idea. I need to take some notes."

"What kind of 'interesting idea'?" asked Lazard as the older man procured a pad of paper from his desk and started scribbling on it.

"An idea that may help me develop a more advanced communications system," explained Reeve. "Not overnight, obviously, but if all else fails, it could be our shot at cracking this database."

Sephiroth and Lazard shared a look, each of them wondering where this might lead.

* * *

Later that evening, Zack found himself dropping by Cissnei's apartment. He didn't want to turn into a stalker, but part of him still wanted to try and win her back. He came around the street corner, muttering to himself as he tried to work out what he would say if he gathered the courage to buzz her apartment.

"Ciss, I think we made a mistake, giving up so soon," he said under his breath. "I know you like me as much as I like you. Don't you think it's worth giving it one more chance?"

He nodded, thinking that sounded good. A part of him wondered if he was coming off too desperate, but he reasoned that was because he _was_ a little desperate. He wasn't connecting with anyone the way he thought he connected with Cissnei. Maybe he just couldn't get her off his mind because she was the first girl to dump him like that, and he just couldn't stand to lose.

He looked up from the pavement as he neared the building entrance and he froze when he saw that Cissnei was already outside, talking to her work associate, Elena. He ducked quickly into an alleyway, acting impulsively to avoid being seen. He peeked around the corner to see the two women smiling and talking together, and he pondered whether he was doing the right thing. He waited for them to part ways or go inside, so that he could make his approach. Elena took both of Cissnei's hands in hers and she leaned in to whisper something that made the brunet smile. Zack didn't think anything of it at first, until Cissnei pulled away and gazed at the blond with a familiar look on her face. Zack had seen that look himself many times during the course of their dating, and he cocked his head curiously.

"Why is she looking at her that way?"

He had his answer a moment later, when the two women closed the distance between them and kissed. Zack's jaw dropped.

"Oh my god."

* * *

"My girlfriend's gay."

Angeal stared at Zack with a frown. It was getting late, but he didn't have the heart to turn him away when he looked like that. He ushered him into his quarters.

"Keep it down, Genesis is asleep. Which girlfriend are you talking about?" There had been so many, lately.

Zack walked in and shut the door behind him, sighing. "Cissnei."

If anything, Angeal was even more confused. "I thought you two broke up a couple of months ago."

"Yeah, we did." Zack went to the kitchenette and helped himself to one of the beers in the fridge. He opened the bottle, stared at it for a moment and then took a swig. "I thought I'd try one more time to get her back. I went to her apartment to try and talk to her, but I found her sucking face with that blonde Turk she works with. I...I just took off after that. I mean, how do I compete with a _girl_? They've got boobs and everything. I've never made a girl go gay before."

Angeal pinched his lips to fight a smile. "Zack, you can't turn someone gay. She was gay to begin with, or at least bisexual. It sounds like she's just recently accepted it."

"How do you know that?" pressed Zack. "Maybe she was just so fed up after dating me, she decided men aren't worth it anymore."

"Zack," sighed Angeal, "people don't become homosexual overnight; trust me. I...Genesis and I..." he struggled with himself, thinking this might be the best time to tell him the truth about his relationship with Genesis.

"Hey, I know there's nothing wrong with being gay," Zack went on, evidently misunderstanding what Angeal was trying to say. "I just don't much like being the one to make a girl realize it, you know? I mean, I was her last boyfriend, so something I did must have triggered it."

"Then maybe you did her a favor," suggested Angeal. "If dating you gave her some sort of epiphany, then you've helped her find her true self. That isn't a bad thing at all."

Zack considered it and took another swallow of beer. "Huh. I never would have thought of it that way, but you're right. I mean, it sucks for me but I want her to be happy. I like the idea of her being with a cute blonde girl better than the idea of her being with some big hairy guy."

Angeal tactfully steered Zack back toward the door, mindful that his voice was growing louder with each second. "That's a healthy way to look at it. You'll find someone else, some day."

"Hope so. Hey, if you want me to leave you could just say so, Ange. I know you're trying to herd me out of here."

"I'm sorry," murmured Angeal, "I just don't want to disturb Genesis' rest. Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

"Sure," agreed Zack. He downed the rest of the beer and put it in the garbage. "I'll deal. I just needed to tell someone I could trust to keep it quiet, you know? I don't know if she's really 'out' yet, even if she _was_ kissing another girl in public."

"Understood," assured Angeal. "I'll keep it to myself. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Zack nodded, his eyes going blank as he thought about it for a minute. "Yeah, I think I will. Actually, seeing that kind of gave me some closure. Besides, it was hot."

Angeal smiled. Nothing kept Zack Fair down for long. He always found a bright side to look at and though he wasn't likely to get over Cissnei right away, at least he wasn't trying to dwell on it. He reached out and ruffled the younger man's spikes in a rare show of affection. "You almost sound adult about it. Go and get some sleep, Zack."

"I'll try. I guess I'll see you tomorrow after morning rounds." With that said, he left.

Angeal shut the door and locked it before turning around to look at Genesis. The redhead was still snoring softly, undisturbed. Angeal sighed. Zack bounced back easily, but he was surely a bit naive. He gave no indication whatsoever that he knew there was anything more than friendship between Genesis and Angeal, and the big man wondered how he would react when he found out the truth.

"Mmnnuh...Angeal?" Genesis' voice was hoarse with sleep as he stirred in the bed. "What happened?"

Angeal quickly joined him, climbing in beside him and pulling the covers over his body. "You're okay, Genesis. You're in our quarters."

Genesis sighed and snuggled up to him, groggily affectionate in his stupor. "That psycho drugged me," he recollected with a yawn. "How did I get here?"

"Sephiroth brought you." Angeal rubbed his companion's back soothingly. "Go back to sleep."

"Mmkay," murmured Genesis, uncharacteristically docile. He was soon snoring again.

Angeal kept rubbing his back until he too began to fall asleep, and his last thoughts were that if he found out Hojo did something to Genesis while he had him under his care, he'd make him pay for it.

-To be continued


	14. Chapter 14

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter fourteen: Trust issues

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note:_**_ Just a reminder that some time skipping will be necessary for the plot of this story. This chapter is designed to tie up some loose ends before the next series of events takes place._

* * *

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.

* * *

Zack didn't trust himself to speak to Cissnei right away, after what he saw. He was afraid he'd snicker or say something inappropriate, so he just avoided her for a week and tried to cope with his feelings. One day after sitting down to his lunch in the cafeteria, he spotted her and Elena coming from the buffet line and he decided it was time to try and put it behind him. He called out to the girls and motioned invitingly at the empty seats at his table. They spoke to each other before approaching.

"Zack, why are you looking at us that way?" Cissnei watched her ex suspiciously as she and Elena took his invitation to come and sit down by him.

Zack forked up another mouthful of meat and he shrugged, dropping his eyes to his dining tray. "Just looking, Ciss. Is there a rule against ex boyfriends doing that?"

She gave him a slightly suspicious little smile and unrolled the napkin holding her eating utensils. "No, but you weren't just looking...you were leering."

"I was not," he argued after chewing and swallowing his food. He looked at Elena. "Was I?"

She glanced askew at Cissnei before answering. "Kind of, yeah."

"So what's on your mind?" Cissnei prompted.

"Nothing, I just thought we could eat lunch together." He winked at Elena impulsively.

"Uh-huh." The look of suspicion didn't fade from Cissnei's face.

Zack realized he was falling back into flirty habits, and he decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. "So, are they keeping you busy?"

"As always," agreed Cissnei. Elena handed her the salt and she thanked her before sprinkling some over her greens. "We've got an assignment after lunch. What about you? Are you taking good care of yourself?" Her eyes swept over him, softening a bit with fondness she couldn't hide.

"I try. Angeal helps keep me in line."

She chuckled. "Good. I should thank him, the next time I see him."

Zack grinned mischievously. "So you worry about me, huh?"

"Of course I do." Cissnei met his eyes soberly. "You've been through a lot."

"Well, everything's going back to normal again, so you don't have to keep worrying about me." He gave her a crooked, charming smile. "It makes me feel good knowing you still do, though."

He was tempted to spill the beans and let them know he knew they were more than friends, but he didn't know how they'd react and he didn't want to damage his tentative return to friendship with Cissnei. He sighed and tried to put thoughts of the two of them together out of his mind. It probably wasn't good for his health to perv on a pair of Turk women too much.

* * *

Just when Zack thought he was adjusting to his discovery that Cissnei was gay, he discovered the truth about his mentor and Genesis. It was a complete accident that might have been avoided if Angeal hadn't given Zack a keycard to his quarters, or perhaps if Zack had thought to knock before entering one Saturday morning on his way to training. He was up and out earlier than usual and he intended to check in with Angeal regarding weekly inspections. He knew Angeal and Genesis were sharing the living quarters, but despite his past suspicions of the redhead's sexuality, it truly didn't dawn on him that they could be an item—until he walked through the door and saw the evidence.

"Hey Ange, I'm on my way to morning training with my recruits and I thought I'd…uh…"

Zack trailed off and stared stupidly for a moment, trying to comprehend what he was seeing. Angeal and Genesis lay on the bed together, as naked as the day they were born. They were both on top of the sheets and Genesis was sprawled on top of the bigger man, with his cheek resting on his chest. One of Angeal's hands rested intimately on Gen's bare ass, and the other lay over his shoulder. Both of them stirred at the sound of Zack's voice, and Genesis lifted his auburn head from Angeal's chest and peered blearily up at the intruder through mussed bangs.

Bewildered, Zack blurted an apology. "Uh, sorry. I didn't know you guys would be…er…naked…and stuff. I'll just go now, okay?"

Angeal looked sleepily concerned and he rolled Genesis off of him as he made a grab for the discarded boxers lying on the corner of the bed. "Zack? Wait, we should talk about this."

"It's cool," Zack said hastily, nearly tripping over himself to retreat. "I think I get it. Uh, see you during rounds, guys."

"Do _not_ go out that door, Zack," demanded Angeal. He finished tugging his boxers on and Genesis slipped into a robe. "We're going to talk about this before you go anywhere."

"You just _had_ to give him a keycard," grumbled Genesis crossly. He went to the kitchenette and started the coffeemaker, hardly giving Zack a second glance.

Zack obeyed Angeal's order instinctively, shutting the door the rest of the way behind him despite his misgivings. He began to blush profusely, embarrassed as hell by the whole situation. "Hey, if you guys like to sleep naked, it's not my business."

Genesis paused in the action of getting a coffee cup from the cabinet and he stared at Zack, before looking at Angeal. "Your puppy does denial better than anyone I've met, Angeal."

Angeal sighed and motioned to the little couch in the room. "Zack, sit down. It's past time for us to talk about this. Genesis, don't tease him. He's been through enough."

The redhead rolled his eyes. "Far be it from me to damage a fragile young mind. I'll go and have a shower while this is brewing, and you can have your talk about the facts of gay life, and the wisdom of keeping it to himself."

Zack watched Genesis go into the little bathroom and he felt a little more secure when it was just he and Angeal in the main room. He looked up at his mentor and he felt like an idiot. Genesis was right; he was trying to deny what was right in front of him. He never would have picked Angeal as a gay man, though, even though he'd never shown any interest in the fairer sex.

"H-how long have you two been…you know?" Zack took a seat on the couch as Angeal sat on the edge of the bed. All things considered, he thought he was handling it pretty well.

Angeal sighed and glanced at the bathroom door. "It happened after we defected, while we were working on a cure for the deterioration and seeking answers. We've always had a special bond, Zack, but after coming so close to losing him, I came to terms with the truth of my feelings. We've been together ever since."

"Why didn't you _tell_ me?" demanded Zack, losing some of his embarrassment in the face of indignity, "and why give me a keycard, when I could just come barging in on you two…doing stuff?"

"The keycard exchange was done for emergency purposes," reminded Angeal dryly, "not just dropping in on a whim, without knocking."

Zack grimaced. "Okay, maybe I abused the privilege a little. I sure didn't expect to walk in on that, though."

Angeal gave him a reserved, quiet smirk. "As I said; having access to each others' private quarters is no excuse to bust in on each other without knocking, except in emergencies. I'm sorry you had to find out that way, Zack. I planned to tell you when things settled down more." He sighed and combed his fingers through his dark, disheveled hair. "Is this going to be a problem, Zack? Can you keep this to yourself? Genesis and I don't necessarily mind other people knowing, but we'd rather not advertise the details of our relationship, understand?"

Knowing how it could complicate things if word got out, Zack nodded. "You don't have to worry about that. I understand. Well, I don't _totally_ understand, but you guys are my friends and that's more important to me than my confusion. I swear I'll knock from now on…_believe me_."

Angeal chuckled. "I'll bet you will. You really never suspected before?"

Zack shook his head, grinning sheepishly and shrugging. "You guys are really subtle about it, or maybe I've just been ignoring the signs." In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realized he'd seen hints here and there but never thought much of them.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" pressed Angeal with brotherly concern.

"What, you mean like do I think you're going to make a pass at me?" Zack chuckled and shook his head, remembering the time he thought Reeve was making a pass at him in the elevator. "I think you would have done that by now, if you were going to. You're still my mentor and friend, and after everything I've seen and done since coming to the city and joining SOLDIER, finding out you're gay is small potatoes. I'll get used to it."

The bigger man relaxed visibly. "I'm grateful for that."

"Don't sweat it." Zack checked his watch, trying not to look as uncomfortable as he felt. "Don't take this the wrong way Ange, but I'd better go before Genesis comes back out."

Angeal nodded in understanding. "I'll see you when we do inspections later, then."

* * *

Zack knew he promised not to tell anyone, but when he and Sephiroth were going over the recruitment records later that day, he couldn't resist saying something. He tried to be subtle about it, but subtlety had never been his forte.

"Hey Seph, have you ever noticed anything unusual about Angeal and Genesis' relationship?"

The general didn't pause in his typing, his cat's eyes going over the flickering monitor of his computer screen. "Define 'unusual'."

Zack bit his lip. "You know…different from how they treat us."

"They've always been close."

Zack squirmed in his seat, trying to think of a way to discuss it without blurting it out. "I know, but sometimes I get the feeling there's a little more to it than that."

"You mean because they're lovers." Sephiroth kept typing, and his voice remained pleasantly neutral.

Zack's eyebrows shot up. "Uh, I didn't say that, but now that you mention it, I could see how—"

"You can drop the coy act, Zackary. You're no good at it." A bare hint of a smirk curved Sephiroth's lips, illuminated by the glowing monitor. "I presume you've just made this discovery and you want someone to discuss it with."

Zack wondered if he was wearing a sign or something. "Man, how do you _do_ that? So, you already knew?"

"Yes."

"Well, how long have you known?" pressed the brunet.

"Since they returned. We've known each other for a long time, after all."

Zack sighed. "Right, you guys went through training together. I still can't believe I didn't figure it out before now, though. I've known Angeal long enough, at least."

Sephiroth glanced at him. "That's because you still lack observation skills outside of combat, unless the subject of your interest has breasts. You're improving, little by little."

Zack flushed. Leave it to Sephiroth to mix a smack-down with a compliment. "Gee, thanks."

He knew he'd adjust to the knowledge with time, just as he'd come to accept the truth about Cissnei. In fact, it was probably going to be easier to cope with Angeal and Genesis' situation, seeing as neither of them was his ex and their relationship didn't personally affect him in any way. At least he could be around them without worrying about getting turned on by the thought of them making out together, too.

* * *

Several more months went by, and Reeve kept trying to hack the classified databases without getting caught. His project was moving along faster than his efforts to procure secret information, and he warned Lazard and Sephiroth that he might not succeed in his endeavor until he completed his project. When asked what exactly this project was, he said he'd show them when it was finished. Both of them knew it would do no good to press him for more information, so they left it at that. In the meantime, Lazard concentrated on keeping his department organized and Sephiroth continued his normal duties of overseeing the training of new recruits and leading any missions they gave him.

After his encounter with Hojo, Genesis made sure to avoid being stuck with him as his doctor again. He never said anything aloud to his companions, but for a while a part of him wondered if Hojo had managed to do something to him in the brief time he had him on the examination table. He didn't feel any different, but he knew too much about Hojo's endeavors to brush it off.

With time, Genesis worried less about it. He reasoned that if Hojo had done anything significant to him, symptoms would have appeared by now. He and Angeal took their job as instructors seriously, glad to be caught up in their duties again. Genesis still suffered nightmares from time to time and Angeal was always right there by his side when he did, comforting him and soothing him back to sleep.

It took over six months for Reeve to finish his project, and once he did, he disappeared for a while, taking unused paid leave to finish things up. He called up Lazard when he was finished and he invited him and the Soldier officers to come to his place and see his new invention. It wasn't what any of them were expecting.

* * *

"Come in and have a drink," invited Reeve, stepping aside to allow his guests into his apartment. "The bar is over there, just pick your poison and help yourselves."

Zack looked around with interest at the modern, loft-style interior. "Nice digs, Reeve. I still almost expected something bigger, though."

Reeve joined Lazard behind the bar and he reached for a bottle of scotch with a black-gloved hand. "I could have afforded something bigger, but it would have been a waste. I spend most of my time at HQ anyways."

"So where is this invention of yours that's going to allow you to break through Hojo's firewall?" Sephiroth asked, looking around with narrowed green eyes.

"Patience," advised Reeve.

"We've been trying to hack the system for more than a year," reminded Sephiroth, unsmiling. "How patient do you want me to be?"

"Just show us the finished product," advised Lazard.

Reeve spread his hands. "You're looking at it."

Genesis raised a brow, pausing in the middle of pouring himself a Vodka. "Is that supposed to be some form of irony?"

"No," assured Reeve with a smile, "It's not ironic, but it's pretty cool."

"I don't understand," admitted Angeal. "Did you manage to hack the database without your project?"

The older man shook his head. "No. Here, let me get my laptop and I'll give you a demonstration."

Confused but curious to see where this was going, the SOLDIER operatives and Lazard waited as Reeve went into another room—presumably his workshop—and came back out with a laptop computer. It was already powered up and he set it down on the glass-top coffee table in the middle of the living room, motioning them to join him as he sat down before it on the crescent-shaped couch.

"Do you remember the conversation we had last year, General, around the time when Lt. Rhapsodos came back injured from the Wutai mission?"

Sephiroth nodded uncertainly. "Vaguely."

"You were pushing me to work faster," reminded Reeve, "and I said short of plugging myself into the system to communicate directly with it, I couldn't work any faster than I already was."

"I recall something of the sort. Are you going somewhere with this?"

Reeve reached into the breast pocket of his navy colored, button-up shirt and he produced something that looked like a headphone jack, only there weren't any headphones on the other end of the wire. Instead, there was another data jack. While they watched, Reeve brushed aside some hair at his left temple to reveal a shaved patch. Sephiroth frowned and stared at the spot, noticing that it looked like something was embedded into the skin. Even his normally stoic visage cracked as he watched Reeve push one of the jacks into his temple.

"Reeve," Lazard sputtered, "What have you _done_ to yourself?"

"I gave myself an upgrade."

"Holy shit, you're like a cyborg or something," blurted Zack with widened eyes.

Reeve gave him an amused look as he turned his laptop a little. "I'm still just as human as you are, Zack. You've been augmented with Mako, I've been augmented with circuits. This is just an advanced means of networking...one that works at the speed of thought and might be able to accomplish what I've been trying to do for all this time."

"How in the hell did you graft that thing into your temple without giving yourself brain damage?" demanded Genesis.

"I know some people outside the company that were able to refer me to a surgeon for the job."

Genesis snorted. "And they say _I'm _crazy."

"I made a judgment call and so far, it's worked in my favor. Now everyone be quiet while I plug in. I wanted you to all be here when I try to tap Hojo's network for the first time with this."

They quieted down as advised and watched as he plugged the other end of the jack into his computer. His pupils dilated and contracted briefly as he began to silently communicate with the system, and windows began to pop up on the screen. A restricted access warning appeared after a few minutes, and dots began to form in the password window where the letters would go. The box flashed and refreshed, and the cycle started again. It was happening with astonishing speed, leaving little doubt that Reeve was in fact communicating directly with the database he was trying to crack.

"I don't see how this will make it any more likely for you to break in," reasoned Genesis. "Okay, so you're communicating with the system faster, but it's still nothing you couldn't have done with a standard keyboard."

"It isn't just the head jack," answered Reeve absently, hardly slowing his efforts. "The real magic is in my laptop. I've created a tunneling program for getting past the firewall. If I do this right, not even Hojo's security can stop me for long. This could still take a while, though. Feel free to refresh your drinks if you run out."

The other men looked at one another dubiously.

* * *

After an hour, Reeve still hadn't had any luck and Zack spoke softly to his companions at the bar while they refilled their drinks.

"I know Reeve is our best shot at this, but I'm starting to wonder if the guy's snapped." He looked over his shoulder at the man in question, who was cursing softly and staring at the screen of his laptop. "This is like some kind of sci-fi show. I'm afraid he's lost it, man."

"I've seen enough strange things in my time as a Soldier to believe what he claims is possible," Sephiroth answered, "but if he doesn't have results within another hour, we'll intervene."

"So you really think he could pull this off?" Zack pressed. "You're not even a little worried about the guy?"

Angeal patted the younger Soldier's arm. "He seems okay, Zack...if frustrated. I promise, if it looks like he could need medical attention, we'll get him to a hospital right away."

"It's his _mind_ he's worried about," Genesis pointed out, "Not his body. Frankly, I think Zack may be right. Sane people tend not to drill holes in their temples."

"He doesn't seem any more or less sane to me than he ever does," argued Lazard. "Wait and let the man try his idea. We don't have a good enough reason to assume he's lost his mind."

"Did you not hear my comment about drill holes in the temples, Director?" Genesis made a gesture at his own head.

"Yes, I heard and I agree that under normal circumstances, that would be a sign of insanity." Lazard spared a glance at Reeve. "But these circumstances are far from normal. I think he knows what he's doing."

Reeve's shout distracted them from any further arguing they might have done.

"Hot damn, I'm in!"

* * *

They gathered around Reeve and his computer, watching as he began to download files.

"You did it," Lazard said, impressed.

"Told you," answered Reeve smugly. "But I've only got a short window to do this before the security system starts countering me. I'm grabbing everything I can, as fast as possible. I'll have to decrypt it all later and hope it's something we can use."

"Good work," Sephiroth approved.

"I'll go straight for the President's database after this," announced Reeve, his eyes intent on the screen. "I hope you realize this may be a one time good deal. I don't expect the files to stay put for long, once they figure out someone managed to access some of them."

"Just get as much as you can get," urged Lazard.

Reeve nodded and compressed his lips in concentration. After a while, his expression changed and his dark eyes flicked over the screen with consternation. "Uh-oh."

"What?" demanded Zack. "What's 'uh-oh'?"

"Um...it's a tracer."

Genesis raised his brows. "As in something that can track your connection back to you?"

"That's how it works, yes." Reeve tensed and shook his head. "It came out of nowhere. Sorry Director, but I'm going to have to abort."

"Do it," agreed Lazard.

Reeve shut down the program hastily, cutting off his link to Hojo's database. He took a slow breath and looked around at the other men. "Five more seconds and they would have known where I am. I've never seen a tracer pop up that fast before. It's like that damned network is alive or something."

"Maybe it was in one of the files and you triggered it when you started to download it," suggested Sephiroth, slightly more knowledgeable about computer systems than his fellow Soldiers.

"It's possible," agreed Reeve, "Damn it!"

"At least you managed to get something," comforted Angeal. "Maybe enough to confirm our suspicions or answer some questions."

"One can hope," sighed Reeve. He detached the jack from the computer and his temple. "One thing's for sure, I won't be getting back in _that_ way again. The system will adapt and be ready for me, if I try. I'll get started tomorrow on the decrypting. I'm too tired to do it now and I don't want to make any mistakes and lose anything by accident."

Angeal frowned as he remembered something. "Look for anything with the name 'Deepground' in it."

"What's Deepground?" asked Reeve.

Genesis regarded Angeal thoughtfully. "It's the project Hollander said he briefly worked on, before Hojo replaced him. Correct?"

Angeal nodded. "It was supposed to be a more advanced SOLDIER program, from what I understand. Supposedly they shut it down, but another project might have piggybacked on it."

"And it's entirely plausible that Hojo used the research from that project to start another one," agreed Sephiroth. "Finding the information on one could lead to information on the other."

Zack shuddered. "I remember those things we found in the capsules at the Nibelheim reactor. That's what happens with over-exposure to Mako, right? Maybe those creatures were part of whatever Hojo's been up to."

Sephiroth shook his head. "No, those were rejects from older experiments. Hojo is past making mistakes like that now."

"He'll just make all new ones," quipped Genesis dryly. "But I'm sure that won't deter him from playing with genetics."

Zack raised an interesting question, then. "What are we supposed to do once we have the evidence we need? If the president is in on it, we can't exactly have Hojo arrested. If anything, we'll probably be the ones to get locked up, or even executed. We're talking government conspiracy here, guys."

The others looked at one another, at a loss. "We've been concentrating so hard on getting information, we never discussed that," Reeve said. "The kid's got a good point. Without knowing which departments are in on it, we can't trust anyone with whatever information we manage to scrape up. For all we know, we could be the only ones that _aren't_ in on it."

"So what are we saying?" sighed Genesis. "Even if all of this effort pays off, we can't do anything with the information?"

"Not with the president in charge of the company," answered Sephiroth. "Unless we're wrong about his involvement. Reporting Hojo to him would not only be useless, but it could backfire significantly on us. We need to know who's involved before we proceed with any reporting. If President ShinRa is in on it as I suspect, then nothing short of a change in leadership will make a difference."

"Or an uprising," sighed Lazard, "which I was once prepared to ignite, but now feel we'd be left with nothing but ash in the end."

Reeve nodded. "Like it or not, ShinRa inc. is in fact a government body, not just a big corporation. Bringing it down would result in anarchy, if it could even be done. I think we're best off doing more digging, before we make any big moves. We need to know what we're up against."

"Well, there's nothing more to do here tonight," remarked Lazard with a glance at his watch. "I suggest we go home and get some rest. Reeve, let me know when you've decrypted the data you managed to collect. We'll arrange a meeting to discuss it and go from there."

* * *

Unfortunately, Reeve didn't get nearly as much data as he would have liked. Most of it was utterly useless for their purpose, being research data for projects that he knew were official. The only hint of illegal activity he found was tied to the "Deepground" project mentioned by Angeal, and the small snatches of information he found on that wasn't enough. He arranged the meeting with Lazard and Sephiroth and he showed them his findings.

"I did find a reference to that department you've mentioned before, General. SOLDIER unit 14: Lost Force."

Sephiroth's interest piqued. "And?"

"They were a special forces unit charged with recovering injured Soldiers from the battlefields during the Wutai conflicts. They brought them to Deepground for treatment, supposedly. What's interesting is the Soldiers they took never seemed to have made it back out again."

"Where is Deepground?" Lazard asked.

Reeve shrugged. "I have no idea. Perhaps Hollander knows?"

"Angeal reported that Hollander alleges he never saw the location. According to him, 'Deepground' was the name of the project. He was cut from it before he ever saw the facilities they were using."

"So he says." Lazard looked at each of his companions in turn. "I know that Hollander wants to see Hojo fall more than anyone—except perhaps your friend Valentine, Reeve. I also know the man is crafty, and if he thinks he has more to gain by keeping some information to himself, I wouldn't put it past him."

"You could always have someone smack him around a little," suggested Reeve. "I'm sure Hewley could be convinced, if you get a few drinks into him and make him forget about honor."

"Hewley would kill him if he drank enough to forgo his sense of honor," Sephiroth said with certainty. "But he could talk to him again and try to persuade him with words. As we've witnessed before, Hollander seems more inclined to share information with his biological son than anyone else."

Lazard nodded. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try. What else did you find, Reeve?"

The executive grimaced and scratched the stubble growth on his chin. "I'm afraid that's all."

The director stared at him. "That's it? That's _all_ of the information you were able to find in all of that data?"

"It's all the information pertinent to our goal that I was able to find, yes. The rest was all research and lab data for official projects. I guess Hojo kept them encrypted to protect them from other scientists in his department. He's always guarded his work jealously."

Sephiroth got out of his chair and walked over to the window overlooking the city below. "Then we're really no closer than we were before."

Reeve lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry. I'll keep trying. You know, there _is_ a possibility that Hojo isn't heading some top secret project, after all. Maybe we haven't found anything because there's really nothing to find."

Sephiroth shook his head, making the pale silk of his lustrous hair sway. "No. He's doing something. I can feel it. We're merely looking in the wrong place."

"You don't think the information is in the database?" asked Lazard.

Sephiroth turned partially to regard him. "It could be stored somewhere else. It could even be on physical files. If not, then he predicted someone might get through eventually and he moved the data before Reeve got to it."

"Also a reasonable possibility," agreed Reeve. "So that leaves us with trying to keep an eye on him and monitor his comings and goings. My hacking attempts failed, but I'm reasonable sure I could plant some monitors and tracking devices, if I'm careful enough."

Lazard and Sephiroth glanced at each other. "Back off for a while," suggested Sephiroth. "If you start behaving strangely after breaching his database, he'll start suspecting something."

"That's sound advice," agreed the engineer. "He's already demonstrated some suspicion of me once before. I'll give it a few weeks before I start planting bugs. Oh, there was _one_ other thing in that data that gave me pause, but only because it looked like a misplaced urban development file."

"Oh?" Lazard asked. "What was it?"

"Sector zero." Reeve looked at both of them and shrugged. "It was mentioned in a small document, but there were no extensive details."

Lazard shook his head and furrowed his brows. "There _is_ no sector zero."

"I know, but it looks like they might have planned to build one, at some point. Maybe it even goes all the way back to the construction of Midgar, and they nixed it. I've certainly never heard of it before. General?"

"Neither have I," confirmed Sephiroth.

"Then it's probably just old data that got mixed up in there," sighed Reeve. "Sorry I couldn't give you more."

"You tried," Lazard said graciously. "Though I wish you hadn't felt the need to graft that thing to your head."

"It's painless," assured Reeve, "and it's part of a bigger project I'm working on. I think I would have done it regardless, eventually."

"You aren't planning on further 'additions' are you?" Lazard's concern was sincere.

Reeve chuckled. "Nothing extreme, I assure you. Any further modifications will be very subtle. I'm not turning myself into robot."

"I trust you know what you're doing." Lazard shook his hand. "Thank you for your efforts, Tuesti. We'll keep at it, of course, but I think we've done all we can with this method."

"For now," conceded Reeve.

"Whatever happened with the investigation the president agreed to conduct in the slums?" Lazard asked. "Did you see any results from that?"

Reeve shook his head. "Not a thing. My guess is the investigation was bogus, or else called off completely. He agreed to do it to shut me up. The number of disappearances seems to have dropped since then, though."

"Interesting. If those numbers start to rise again, let me know."

* * *

Sephiroth explained everything to Angeal, Genesis and Zack and he warned them to keep a sharp eye out for any odd behavior within their ranks and the company itself. He also asked if any Soldiers under their command had gone missing, be they new recruits or higher ranking operatives. When he got negatives from all three of them, he reminded them to keep a close eye on their ranks and report any absences.

"You think people might start defecting again?" Zack asked.

"This isn't about defection," answered the general, "it's about abduction. The secret unit we learned of brought injured Soldiers to this 'Deepground' facility, wherever it was. If it's still in operation, they could very well start the abductions again."

"How do we know the Soldiers taken in for treatment didn't just die there from their injuries?" Angeal asked.

"We don't," answered Sephiroth, "but considering what Hollander told you about Deepground, I'm inclined to believe they ended up as research specimens. Speaking of Hollander, I need you to talk to him again. Ask him about Deepground again, and see if he can give you any further information at all."

As unpleasant as Angeal found it to interact with his biological father, he didn't protest. "I'll see what I can get from him," he promised.

* * *

While the Soldiers plotted with their Director and Reeve to uncover a suspected conspiracy, others were working hard to keep it covered up. After discovering the latest breech in his network, Hojo arranged a meeting with President Shinra, Scarlet and Heidegger.

"I do hope you took my advice," he told them, "and moved any data which could lead to discovery of our little project."

"That was done the moment we realized someone was trying to hack the network," assured the President, "but I'm surprised you left data in your network for them to find, Professor."

Hojo favored him with a sly smirk. "I purposely left data in there for our intruder to find. There was nothing useful in it; mere snatches of information and old documentation that I no longer have a use for."

"Why leave anything for them to find at all?" Heidegger demanded.

"As bait, of course. I wanted our 'friend' to think he was doing well, to give my subject time to locate him. Unfortunately, the culprit withdrew before the trace could be applied."

"So we still have no idea who's been trying to infiltrate us," reasoned the President.

"I have a suspicion," Scarlet said with a scowl. "It's a known fact that Tuesti thinks of himself as some sort of inventor, outside his usual line of work. I've been asking to have him investigated for months, now!"

"He claimed someone tried to hack into his database too, though," reminded Heidegger.

"So he _says_," snorted the blonde woman. "But I don't trust him. Don't forget the questions he was bringing up about the missing slum dwellers in our last board meeting."

"Then we'll have him watched," said President Shinra. "But not _too_ closely. I'm satisfied with his work and until I have evidence that he's responsible, I want him to stay right where he is. Whoever our culprit is, it's unclear exactly what they're after. All departments have reported hacking attempts, including the Turks. That's why I ordered a cut-back on recruitment, for a while."

Scarlet nodded. "A wise decision, sir. Have you put anymore thought into bringing the VP into the project?"

"Rufus still has some growing to do before I'm satisfied that he's ready for that, but he will be a part of it in due time."

Scarlet compressed her lips briefly, before nodding. "I believe your son is ready for it, but the decision is yours, Mr. President."

The president decided not to linger on the subject of Rufus, and he walked over to the big window overlooking the city below. When he spoke again, it was to address Hojo. "Speaking of the subject you mentioned before, have you discovered a way to harness or replicate her abilities to spread to other subjects, Professor?"

"That will take more time, I'm afraid," answered Hojo. "As a specimen, she isn't nearly as impressive as our genetically engineered subjects; particularly those born of two enhanced parents. Her potential is impressive, however."

"Then focus on bringing that potential to the surface," suggested President Shinra. "With recruitment down and the low survival rate of first-time subjects, we need to make everything count. The sooner we can finally replace the old SOLDIER program, the better."

Heidegger cleared his throat. "While we're on the subject, some of the Tsviets have been giving the Restrictors some trouble."

The president frowned. "Trouble? Their control chips should prevent disobedience."

Scarlet gave Heidegger an annoyed look. "They do. Don't listen to him, Sir. He's exaggerating."

"If our most powerful soldiers are becoming even slightly un-manageable, I want to know about it. Which Tsviets are causing trouble and how are they doing it?"

"Weiss and his younger brother Nero, mostly," answered Heidegger before Scarlet could answer. "Rosso too…but that girl has always been a handful. They haven't been able to outright defy their orders, but they've started testing things. You can tell they're working things out, looking for loopholes."

"When did this begin?" Demanded Hojo, "and why wasn't I told?"

"Because defiant glares and a few well-earned shocks don't constitute an emergency," insisted Scarlet. "The Restrictors have everything handled. The subjects are quickly brought back to heel whenever they try to defy their orders. They've just become more stubborn, that's all. They are still completely manageable."

"When did this new defiance start?" asked Hojo again, narrowing his eyes warningly on her.

Scarlet and Heidegger looked at each other, both shrugging. "I guess some time after the latest round of treatments done on them," answered the latter. "What difference does it make?"

"After we introduced the new G-cell formula?" pressed the scientist, his voice oddly intense.

"Yes," answered Scarlet. "But I doubt Rhapsodos' cells have anything to do with—"

"You're no scientist, my dear," Hojo interrupted impatiently. "Those samples we collected were different from the ones first used…taken from a subject whose cellular structure changed."

"Because of Hollander curing the degeneration," reasoned the president, having gained some scientific knowledge in his involvement in the project.

Hojo shrugged, grudgingly giving credit where it was due. "What matters to me is the possibility that the infusion of these cells has altered the behavior of the subjects. Are any of the other recipients of that formula showing similar changes?"

Scarlet thought about it for a moment before shaking her head and beside her, Heidegger echoed her sentiments. "Only those three, so far. The others seem to follow their lead."

Hojo wasn't surprised by this. "Weiss has always been the alpha of that pack. We may need to examine their chip programming and make some adjustments."

Scarlet came up with a chilling possibility, then. "What if our hacker friend were to find his way into the Deepground mainframe and reprogram the chips, or disable them entirely?"

The president didn't need Hojo to answer that question for him. "That would be a disaster. They would have to be put down, if they ever slipped control. Fortunately, the Professor and I have implemented a contingency plan in the event that something ever goes wrong with the programming. We don't need to worry about that network getting hacked, however. It's only accessible through the Deepground super computer. What we need to focus on right now is keeping the progress going strong, and if that means eventually making more spending cuts to other departments, so be it. Safeguard all pertinent data, keep your guard up and report any suspicious activity you find."

* * *

For a good long while, their efforts to keep the project covered up were a success. New "recruits" for the program were "collected" from various locations, to continue swelling the ranks of the secret army without depleting the population of Midgar sectors and raising more questions. Hojo found ways of procuring more cellular samples from members of the regular SOLDIER program, mainly through subterfuge. He knew Sephiroth was keeping an eye on him, even though he couldn't officially put him under investigation. Hojo knew how to get around such things, however, and he frequently did.

Reeve Tuesti was also well aware that he was being watched, though he couldn't pinpoint the source. Sometimes, he wondered if he was being paranoid. Much like the people he'd tried to spy on, Reeve took care to safeguard his work and he destroyed any data he didn't absolutely need a copy of. He eventually created a new form of artificial intelligence and grafted sensory circuits into his fingertips. The nanotechnology was a breakthrough, and he began to find ways to poke around the company database for short periods of time without being detected. He did not, however, find any further evidence to support the conspiracy theories and eventually, even Sephiroth began to accept the possibility that it really was just _theory_, rather than fact.

For a little over four years, life went on without any outstanding events—barring some disputes between departments that always managed to pop up. SOLDIER eventually ridded Wutai of rebel factions, the Turks protected company secrets and procured new recruits by order of the President. Rufus' seat of power in Junon grew stronger, and Scarlet commuted between there and Midgar as needed.

Satisfied by the progress Rufus had made, President Shinra decided that it was time to show him the _true_ power he stood to inherit, some day. It was around that time that the first disaster struck.

* * *

-To be continued


	15. Chapter 15

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter fifteen: Evacuation

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note:_**_ This chapter has been censored to comply with content restrictions on this site. Just a reminder that some time skipping will be necessary for the plot of this story, and as an AU, some events don't occur as they did in canon. _

* * *

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.

* * *

_A little over four years later:_

Roughly an hour later after showering and changing into fresh clothes, Genesis the sleeping quarters he shared with Angeal to pay a visit to the library. It was an off-duty day and he intended to make the most of it, though being on duty wasn't particularly exciting, these days. Lately things had become almost _boring_ around Midgar, with Wutai in relative peace and no maintenance issues with any of the reactors. There were still issues with a terrorist group calling themselves AVALANCHE, but the Turks were charged with dealing with them and SOLDIER involvement was only called upon when there was an immediate threat to Midgar or Headquarters.

Genesis would almost _welcome_ a major terrorist event, just for a new challenge. He could feel his edge leaving him and though his fellow officers were quiet about it, he knew they suffered the same restlessness. They were Soldiers, trained to excel and honed to deadly perfection. It was second nature to them now, and sex was the only thing that came close to a good battle. That was why he and Angeal had been screwing like rabbits, lately. The sex had always been great, but now it served as more than an act between lovers; it was also a diversion.

Not that he didn't love a good fuck—especially with Angeal—but at the rate they were going, he thought he might end up a cripple before any fighting action occurred, and then he'd be of no use to anyone. He mused on this as he approached Sephiroth's quarters and Genesis paused when the door slid open. He stopped and watched with interest as a flustered young blond cadet stepped out into the hallway, straightening his uniform self-consciously as he looked up at the taller man standing in the doorway.

The cadet gave Sephiroth a salute and a breathless: "_Thank you, sir,_" before retreating down the hall to the elevator, apparently not even noticing Genesis standing there. The cadet walked in a dazed manner and he cast one last glance over his shoulder at Sephiroth before the elevator doors opened, looking at the man with awed gray eyes. He was a good-looking fellow, though a bit too pretty for Genesis' tastes, these days.

When the cadet vanished into the elevator, Genesis regarded his friend with interest, taking note of the black robe Sephiroth wore and the tangles in his flowing silver hair. Emerald cat eyes met aqua blue over the distance and Sephiroth lifted a brow, silently daring Genesis to say something.

Genesis dared. "You and your blonds."

Sephiroth leaned casually against the doorframe and he crossed his arms over his partly bared chest, his gaze sated and content. "I have my needs too. Is that a problem?"

"Only if you forget to use protection," answered Genesis, "but considering you're even more anal retentive than I am, I doubt that's a risk for you."

A brief smirk curved the general's mouth. "I even take it one step further and require my bed partners to be tested, before anything occurs."

Genesis nodded, unsurprised. "Still, your record could soon rival Fair's, at this rate."

"They seek me out," answered Sephiroth, "I simply oblige them...if they appeal to me."

"Of course you do," Genesis answered dryly, but he really wasn't one to talk. It seemed they were all using sex as an outlet lately, and it occurred to him that they hadn't enjoyed a good sparring match in a while.

"I'm feeling restless," said Genesis, eyeing him thoughtfully. "Are you off duty for the full day, Sephiroth?"

"I'm flattered," answered the silver-haired man, "but we aren't one another's type and Angeal may get jealous."

Genesis smirked, taking the witty response in stride. Sephiroth only made jokes when he was in a particularly good mood. "Although it might prove to be an interesting encounter, I wasn't suggesting crossing swords _that_ way and you know it. None of us has faced a real challenge in months, and I know you're getting just as restless as I am."

Sephiroth looked intrigued. "A dual, then?"

Genesis nodded. "After lunch. We can lock down the training room for it. I doubt Angeal and Zack will object."

Sephiroth nodded. "Not the training room, though. The last time we did too much damage and it cost us all a full month's pay."

Genesis smiled crookedly at the reminder. "Fair enough. What about the plains outside city limits? Aside from a few refineries in the area, there isn't much there we could destroy...except for each other."

"I'm looking forward to it," agreed Sephiroth, practically in a purr.

Anyone witnessing the exchange might have thought they were flirting with each other, if it weren't for their challenging stares.

* * *

Zack's first reaction when he got the text message was to thank Gaia for the opportunity to get out and do some damage. After seeing his "guest" out of the barracks and getting cleaned up, he had a quick lunch and he was all too happy to meet up with his fellow officers at the allotted location, outside an old oil refinery three miles away from city limits. They were all eager to get started, happy for the chance to go up against someone besides trainees, regular militia or monsters.

At first, it started as a typical friendly sparring match, with Zack starting off against Sephiroth and Angeal pairing up with Genesis. They tried to rotate opponents, because they each had their own fighting styles and it helped to keep them on their toes. Eventually, Genesis and Sephiroth faced off against one another and it inevitably advanced beyond friendly competition. It didn't get out of hand right away, but as was typical for the two of them, Sephiroth and Genesis began to take it too far.

"You've gotten stronger," Angeal approved with a grunt as he blocked Zack's blade and their weapons threw sparks, "or I'm just more out of practice than I thought."

"I've been practicing as much as I can," admitted Zack. "Gotta catch up with you guys."

Angeal was about to comment on that when an explosion from somewhere behind him interrupted his train of thought. He felt a blast of hot air and he and Zack stopped what they were doing to watch one of Genesis' patented "nova" attacks spread out over the ground, where Sephiroth had been standing a moment before. The general had leaped into the air to avoid it and he was coming back down with his masamune poised to retaliate.

"Are we going to have to—" Zack started to ask, but the blast from the release of energy knocked him off his feet and onto his back.

Angeal managed to keep his balance, thanks to his greater weight and the number of times he'd braced himself against such shockwaves in the past. He helped his coughing ex-student up when it was over.

"Intervene?" he guessed, pitching his voice to be heard over the sounds of their companion's clashing blades and challenging calls. He picked up Zack's sword and handed it to him as the younger man cleared his throat. "Maybe. Let them get some of it out of their system, first."

That was all well and good, until the ground split open under their feet because of one of Sephiroth's slices cutting so deeply into the crust. Zack hastily jumped away and Angeal manifested his wing and took to the air. The big soldier sighed and shook his head at his lover and the general, realizing that they both had too much pent up energy to do this safely for very long. They always overdid it, and sometimes he wondered if they would actually kill each other in their vigor, if he weren't there to referee.

"I don't think we should wait too long," Zack called out from below in a nervous tone. He was looking at the spreading crack in the earth and backing away from it. Too many cuts like that, combined with Genesis' explosions, might cause a giant sinkhole that could do real damage to surrounding roads if left to spread.

Angeal dropped his sparring sword and reached for his thicker Buster sword, eyeing the two combatants for an opening. "Agreed. Here we go again."

Sometimes he felt like an exasperated parent. He heard the sound of a chopper overhead and he looked up to see one of the ShinRa aircrafts flying in to Midgar. He paid it no mind; more worried about the damage Sephiroth and Genesis were doing to the landscape and each other than the helicopter.

* * *

Rude glanced behind him into the cabin, checking on the passengers. He grimaced slightly at the sight of the tears rolling down the pale cheeks of a bound and gagged teenaged girl in the group and he shut the door before facing forward again. Beside him in the pilot seat, his partner glanced sidelong at him with brooding, blue-green eyes. Rude's only expression of discomfort was the slight grimace on his tanned face and the loosening of his tie, but Reno knew him better than most. The redhead sighed and tugged his thin, long ponytail back over his shoulder, looking at Rude through low-hanging wisps of cinnamon-colored hair.

"Don't let it get to ya, partner," advised Reno. His gaze was serious over the crescent tattoos on his cheekbones. "It's just a job, got it?"

Rude cleared his throat and nodded. He started to check his communication gear to report in, but he saw the mess down below on the ground and he frowned at it. "What do you make of that, Red?"

Reno leaned over to peer down from his side. A grin of recognition curved his mouth when he identified the participants in what looked like one hell of a sparring match. "Let's circle around and watch, yo. My money's on Rhapsodos."

Rude shook his head, trying to take his mind off their unwilling "cargo" in the back. "The General will rip him a new one."

"Wanna bet?" Reno dug through his blazer for his wallet. "Hundred gil says the redhead wins this one."

"Redheads don't always win," reminded Rude. He dug for his wallet, too. "I'll raise you fifty."

Reno gave him a feral grin. "You're on, man. Tonight, I'll be sitting pretty on a cool buck and a fifty."

"Don't be so quick to...damn, never mind." Rude gestured at the scene below. "Hewley's breaking it up."

Reno looked back down and grimaced. "Fucking nursemaid!"

"There's a boxing match tonight in sector 8," Rude offered.

Reno reached across and raised a palm for the bald man to slap. "I'm up for that."

Rude smiled subtly at his partner, forcing his personal feelings about the things they'd been doing for the company into the background. Personally, he would have preferred to be assigned with Cissnei, Elena and Rod on the AVALANCHE case.

* * *

A few days later, the SOLDIER officers were finishing up some data entry requirements together in the control room, when Angeal passed by Zack on his way back in with some coffee and he paused upon seeing what was on his screen. He frowned and set the cupholder tray down, leaning over the younger man's shoulder.

"Zack, what exactly is that?"

Zack didn't even flinch. He shrugged and kept surfing the page he was on. "I finished my reports like five minutes ago, Ange. I'm just browsing my fan club."

Directly across from him, Sephiroth sighed—the only reaction he had to the announcement. He kept typing.

"Your fan club?" Angeal resisted a smile, interested in spite of himself.

"Sure. We've all got one, man." Zack leaned to the side a little to show him the screen. "You guys had fans before I did, though. Hey, did you know some people on here think I'm six foot three? I think they have me mixed up with you."

Angeal looked at the information. "I see you've responded to some of these posts. Why haven't you corrected that?"

"He's too busy trying to impress the females," guessed Sephiroth.

"Whatever," grumbled Zack. "Hey Gen, did you know you've got _two_ fan clubs?"

Genesis didn't miss a beat. "That's because I'm awesome." He finished up his data entry and shut his console down. "Angeal, is my Latte over there?"

Angeal nodded. "It's labeled."

Zack twisted in his seat. "Want to see your fanclub, Angeal?"

The big man gave a modest smile. "What is it called?"

"'Keepers of Honor'," answered Zack. "You've _seriously_ never checked it out? Not even now, when everything's so slow?"

Angeal briefly met Genesis' eyes as the red-clad Soldier passed by him to retrieve his cup of coffee. "I've had other things to occupy my time."

"You're missing out on a lot of drooling fangirls," Zack warned. "Boys too. Here, I can show you the site."

"I really don't need to—"

"Come on, just check it out! It's been live for more than five years now, aren't you even a little curious?"

"How is what people think of me going to help me serve my duty better?" questioned Angeal—inadvertently echoing the general's response when Zack once asked him the same thing. Across the way, Sephiroth nodded in agreement and kept typing.

"Well, it won't," admitted Zack, "but it's still nice to see that some people appreciate what you try to do, right? Here, look. The last post on the shoutbox here is a guy saying he's trying to join SOLDIER because of _you_."

Angeal leaned in closer. "Oh?"

"Yeah, people look _up_ to us! See, the next one if from a guy that admires your sense of chivalry. He says he never thought much of the military at all until he met you. The one after that is from a girl in Junon that wants to...uh..." Zack trailed off and grimaced. "Never mind that one, Ange...don't look at that."

"Why? What does she want to do?" For all his stoicism and maturity, Angeal could be horribly naive at times and Zack tried to stick his head in the way to block the big man's view.

Genesis stopped after grabbing his drink and upon seeing the text that Zack was hiding from Angeal, he snorted. "It seems the Junon cannon inspires thoughts of you in the minds of starry-eyed young women, Angeal."

Angeal pushed Zack aside, driven to uncommon curiosity. When he saw the enthusiastic comment that the girl in question would be happy to ride his 'cannon', he flushed and wished he'd never looked at the screen.

"I don't think browsing the fan clubs is for me."

Zack started to respond to that, but his phone vibrated in his pocket and he checked it to find a text from his friend Kunsel. When he read the message, he frowned deeply.

"_Something going on. Have seen high rank ops sealing areas. U know anything?_"

"What the fuck?" Zack blurted the expletive without thought and shook his head as he texted back.

Ordinarily, his companions paid no mind to his texting and other communications, considering his chats with friends and girls none of their concern. His mannerisms drew their interest, however, and Angeal looked down at him with concern.

"Everything okay, Zack?"

Zack started to rise out of his seat, shaking his head as he responded to his friend. "I think someone's just messing with me. He's done it before."

An unexpected tremor shook the building at that moment, as if from a blast far below. Zack dropped his phone and the lights flickered as everyone grabbed onto something to steady themselves. The four operatives looked around at each other in equal confusion, and one of the security guards poked his head in to ask if they were okay.

"Fine," answered Sephiroth, rising from his seat, "but we need to know what's happening."

* * *

President Shinra felt the tremors too, and the discussion he was having with Rufus had to be put on hold. He was getting an urgent, incoming message from Heidegger and given the location of Headquarters and the odd disturbance, he was inclined to answer it.

"Stay on the line," instructed the president to his son. "I have to answer this call."

He didn't wait to see if Rufus complained. He switched to the private line feeding directly from Deepground and he barked a question immediately. "Heidegger, just what in the _hell_ was that?"

"Mr. President," panted Heidegger's rough voice over the crackling frequency, "They're loose! They're killing...the Restrictors...taking over!"

The president's face went pale. "That isn't possible. Make sense, man!"

"They've broken...compulsion...killing everyone! They'll come up!"

President Shinra's eyes went wide with the implications. "Who?" He demanded. "Who hacked the system and made this possible?"

"They did," answered Heidegger. "The Tsviets! They delivered a virus that...oh my god...Sir, help me!"

The president could hear the sound of gunfire rattling off, followed by a cry of agony, something sizzling and a clattering sound.

"Heidegger," he yelled into the phone, "_Heidegger, _answer me!"

A different voice spoke...a deep, cold male voice. "He is unable to respond at this time, President Shinra."

The president swallowed, recognizing the voice. "Weiss, you are ordered to cease hostilities at once and fall in line."

The voice sounded amused. "You no longer compel us. We're coming for you, President Shinra. _We_ control Deepground, now."

* * *

Heidegger had the sense to start security working on blocking off all sectors from the surface before he met whatever fate was dealt to him, but the nature of the emergency was such that the president couldn't afford to take any risks. He contacted Scarlet and after briefly discussing their options, he made his decision. He ordered a full evacuation of the city, under the guise that AVALANCHE had planted a massive bomb beneath ShinRa headquarters that would wipe out everyone in Midgar if it went off. In truth, he activated the self-destruct mechanism of Reactor 0, which would set off an explosive power core beneath HQ and erase what he sadly wrote off as a failed program.

The loss of one of his top advisors was merely an afterthought. The loss of over two decades of work stung much worse—but at least he still had SOLDIER, the ShinRa army and the Turks. Midgar could be rebuilt.

* * *

"My research!" Hojo practically wailed as Zack dragged him out the door with the other scientists.

"Screw your research," grunted Zack, losing all interest in diplomacy. "I've got orders to get you out of here alive and that's what I'm doing! Give me any crap and I'll knock you out!"

"What's happening?" cried a frightened young research assistant, coming up beside Zack and the professor.

Zack gentled his tone with her. "I don't know for sure, Miss. There's a terrorist threat and we're evacuating the city to deal with it. Just stick close to me and we'll get you out of here safely, okay? It's going to be all right."

Hojo scowled at him, trying to pull his arm out of Zack's grasp. "You simple-minded buffoon! Release me! I have to go back and—"

Zack suddenly punched Hojo in the back of the head, knocking him out. He slung the limp scientist over his shoulders with a slight grunt and hefted him like a sack of potatoes, winking at the wide-eyed assistant.

"I'll bet you've wanted to do the same thing plenty of times." He steadied the bony professor draped over his shoulders with one hand and he put an arm loosely around the lab assistant. "Stick close."

* * *

"Angeal," remarked Genesis as he and his lover oversaw the evacuation of sector seven, "Am I the only one that finds it peculiar that AVALANCHE would wait for _this_ long to bomb HQ, if they had the means?"

"Who knows what goes on in the minds of terrorists?" reasoned the big man. He helped a little girl to her feat as she stumbled in a puddle. Her mother thanked him and picked her up as they boarded the transport bus. "Focus on getting these people out safely, Gen. That's our only job and the rest can wait for later."

Genesis sighed and checked his jacket once more for his beloved copy of "Loveless", having a feeling in his bones that he wouldn't get a second chance to go back for it. He relaxed a little when he felt the reassuring bulk of it in the inner pocket.

* * *

Hojo glared at the back of Zack Fair's head from his seat at the end of the bus, and he covertly reached into his lab coat for an electronic data executing device he'd been keeping on him.

"You won't destroy all the work I've done," whispered the scientist—not exactly addressing Zack but finding him a convenient target to glare at.

He activated the device and deployed the artificial intelligence he'd planted into the Deepground mainframe. His plans for Sephiroth might never come to fruition now; but he still had another option. If the report he got about the Tsviets just before Fair came and abducted him were true, then they were in the system now, reprogramming it to suit their agenda.

Hojo smiled. "By all means, Weiss; use your Synaptic Net Dive. Jenova's will awaits you."

* * *

"Don't argue with me," advised President Shinra over the phone, looking nervously toward the window. "Just implement the protocol and start the countdown! This must be dealt with before—"

"Before _what?" _Asked an empty from somewhere behind him.

The line went dead and President Shinra dropped his phone hastily as it went as cold as dry ice in his hand. He turned slowly, his blue-gray eyes wide in his face. Beads of sweat glistened on his head, peppering his thinning hairline as he faced one of the nightmares produced by his own greed—a nightmare that was once human.

A young man stood there in a metallic gray bodysuit, lined with glowing Mako strips. A mechanical, skeletal wing was spread out from the right side of his back, ending in a bionic hand clutching a gun. The young man's long, unkempt raven hair seemed to float around his shoulders as he regarded the president with slit-pupiled red eyes and he spoke through a mask of metallic bandages crossing over his face, obscuring all but his eyes, chin and cheekbones.

"Nero," said President Shinra in recognition. "You've been ordered to stand down."

The sparks of darkness floating around the young man intensified, and his voice was like the abyss itself. "That order has been rescinded...by my brother."

The president didn't stand a chance. He barely had the chance to reach for his gun before the intruder acted, and his screams couldn't be heard over the sounds of the evacuation sirens and speakers.

* * *

Lazard hurried along beside Sephiroth within the halls of Headquarters, his loafers touching down more softly than the taller man's boots on the immaculate floor. "What is the situation with our officers?"

"The barracks have been evacuated. Hewley and Rhapsodos are overseeing Sector 7," answered Sephiroth. "Fair is charged with escorting Hojo and the science department to the airport, and he'll rendezvous with us there. What is the status of Tuesti, if I may ask?"

"He's overseeing evacuation of the lower sectors," answered Lazard.

Sephiroth nodded, finding it a fitting job for him. "What of the other executives and the President?"

"Heidegger is missing. Palmer is with Reeve and you and I are to collect my f...I mean the president...on our way out. He will accompany us to the airport."

Sephiroth let the slight lapse in speech slide, considering the circumstances. "Understood, Director. What of the Turks?"

"Most of them are in Junon with the VP," answered Lazard. "But Tseng, Reno and Rude are here, prepared to aid with the evacuation of the city."

They reached the huge double doors of President Shinra's office and Lazard frowned when he realized the doors were hanging partly open. When he saw what looked like bloody footsteps trailing out of the doors and around to the steps to the fire escape, he immediately reached for his gun. Sephiroth got in front of him immediately and gave him a silent, warning look before raising his slender sword. Lazard took the warning to heart and he stayed back with his gun ready, while the general went in to check it out.

"Director, you can come in," called Sephiroth after a few moments, "but brace yourself."

Frowning even more deeply, Lazard did as advised, keeping his weapon in one hand as he walked through the doors and avoided the tracks he found. He stared down at them in passing and he realized that what he'd assumed to be blood was more of a sticky, tar-like substance. When he lifted his gaze off the floor and looked upon his father's desk and the Soldier standing before it, he nearly dropped his gun.

President Shinra—or what was left of him—lay crumpled over his desk. His body appeared to be half-dissolved and blackened beneath his suit. Lazard impulsively approached, but Sephiroth stopped him before he could reach out to the corpse.

"Whatever did this may still be nearby," murmured the general. His raven wing manifested and he cast a quick look around, his eyes following the footsteps that went out the door. "Call for a helicopter to come to this floor and pick you up, Director. I will investigate."

Lazard struggled against nausea and he shook his head. "The investigation will have to wait, Sephiroth. Orders were for a swift evacuation and this...whatever happened here...is just proof that it was warranted. We'll have to arrange an investigation later, after we've cleared the area and determined the severity of the threat."

Sephiroth lifted his eyes from the footprints and nodded, lowering his blade. "I'll take you to the airport now, then."

* * *

It occurred to Angeal when Sephiroth contacted him with news of the president's demise that he hadn't heard a thing about the detention ward getting cleared out. Sephiroth confirmed that he'd gotten no word on the matter either, and his hands were tied escorting Lazard. Torn, Angeal looked to his companion and tried to decide what to do. The lines were steadily moving along and they'd nearly boarded the entire sector onto transport. Genesis noticed his troubled expression and he took his attention off of the queue for a moment to speak with him.

"What's the matter now?" Murmured Genesis.

"The president is dead," answered Angeal in a low voice. "Lazard and Sephiroth just found his body. It seems the terrorist threat is very real."

"Goddess. I can't say I'm broken up over his death, but I can't help but see the irony. We were all just lamenting the fact that everything has been so quiet around here, lately."

"We got complacent," agreed Angeal. "But that isn't all. I can't get confirmation that the detention ward has been evacuated. That means Hollander and the other detainees are still trapped, and if the alleged bomb threat is real and it goes off, they'll all be killed."

Genesis sighed and looked around at the progress. "Go, then. Take care of it and I'll finish up here. Personally, I don't care if the bastard lives or dies, but I recognize that we may still need him and I prefer your conscience to remain clear."

Angeal took a deep breath and nodded. There was no question about it; his morals couldn't allow him to leave those people to die—criminals or not—and there was no escaping the fact that Hollander was his biological father. He allowed himself a brief display of affection for Genesis, patting his arm.

"I'll keep in contact. The minute you've finished getting the civilians in this sector onto transport, get out of the city. We'll meet up at the designated safe zone, later."

Genesis patted him back and nodded.

* * *

Reeve had to organize a rotating transport system to get everyone out of the lower sectors. The number of poor and working class citizens was greater than the middle and upper class, so most of the busses had to take two trips; dropping off their passengers outside city limits and coming back for more. The one thing that troubled him about the procedure they were following was that no bomb had actually been confirmed, and there had been no sightings of AVALANCHE insurgents.

"Something about this whole thing stinks," muttered Reeve under his breath as he stood by and watched another group of people board a returned bus. His phone began to buzz with an incoming call and he dug it out of his blazer hastily to answer it.

"Tuesti here."

"It's Lazard," answered the voice on the other end. The sound of wind whipping in the background and helicopter rotors forced the director to raise his voice. "President Shinra is dead, Reeve...assassinated. It seems this was no idle threat, after all."

Reeve stood stunned for a moment. He'd been bracing for bad news, but he hadn't been expecting _that_. He responded impulsively, as he would to anyone losing a parent. "I'm sorry. Did...you find him?"

"Yes. I appreciate the condolences, but there will be time for that later. This...situation is more dangerous than we first thought. If you can speed things along at all, I advise you to do it and get the hell out of the city, Reeve."

Reeve looked up at the plate overhead grimly, nodding. "You don't have to tell me twice. We've almost finished loading the last transports. I'll try to speed things up without causing a panic. Is there any estimate on how much time we have?"

"The president alleged that the terrorists gave two hours to meet their demands. I think we can safely assume those demands haven't been met and the bomb is still ticking. Going by the time he ordered evacuation protocols, that leaves us with less than an hour. Fortunately, Lt. Rhapsodos has confirmed that he's just seen off the last of the upper plate residents. That leaves you, Palmer and Lt. Hewley to finish clearing out the rest."

Reeve sighed and looked across the distance at the head of the space program. Palmer stood aside eating a hotdog while he watched people board. So far, the man had been practically useless. "I'll take care of my end," he promised, resigned to the fact that he was practically on his own.

"I'll see you in the safe zone," said Lazard, and then he ended the call.

Reeve put his phone away and he started to walk over to Palmer, considering how he was going to explain the situation to the older man without alarming him. A hysterical Palmer was the last thing he needed. He spotted a flash of crimson out the corner of his eye, beyond the busses near the central pillar. He frowned when he identified a female form and he wondered why the woman was standing there, instead of boarding the transport with everyone else. He changed his trajectory and walked between the vehicles, concerned.

"Miss?" he called out. "You need to board the transport with the other civilians. This isn't a drill."

She didn't respond, except to smile at him. As he drew closer to her, he noticed interesting and strange details about her. Pale skin, auburn, shoulder-length hair in an unusual, slicked-back style. These things by themselves weren't so strange, but her eyes glowed violet and she appeared to be holding a bladed staff of some sort. Reeve stopped and frowned, recognizing the glow in her eyes as a SOLDIER feature...a mark of those infused with Mako. He'd never heard of any women being approved for the SOLDIER program, however.

Palmer distracted him suddenly, grabbing his arm with a pudgy hand. Reeve turned to scowl at him, ready to snap at him for grabbing him without warning. The panicked look in the fat man's eyes told him Palmer had already gotten the news, however, and Reeve groaned inwardly.

"The president's dead!" cried Palmer. "They...they k-killed him in his office! We have to go or we could be next!"

"Keep your voice down," snapped Reeve with a meaningful look at the remaining civilians. A few of them had paused to regard them curiously, evidently hearing the fear in Palmer's voice even if they couldn't make out his words. "Everything is under control."

Palmer shook his head, his jowls shaking with the motion. "No, no it isn't! Terrorists are loose in the city and they'll come after us, next!"

Reeve sighed. Reasoning with the bloated jackass would do him no good. He deftly produced a device from his blazer and while Palmer stood babbling about doom, he tazered him. The older man fell to the ground, twitching. Reeve looked over at the MP's, who appeared uncertain as to what to do.

"Get him into one of the transports," he instructed. "He'll be fine. We can't have him scaring people with his histrionics."

As they hurried to comply, Reeve turned back to the mysterious young woman he'd spotted before, intending to get her boarded as well. He found no sign of her and his words died in his throat. He wondered if he'd truly seen her at all.

* * *

Hollander ogled Angeal as the big man let him out of the cell and ushered him along with the rest of the prisoners. Angeal warned them all that refusing to cooperate with him would only put them in greater peril. To emphasize his point, he announced that there was a very good chance a bomb would go off soon—one strong enough to level the upper plate and crush the lower sectors beneath it. Hollander had some questions about that, but a muscular black man in the ranks asked first.

"Yo, who put the bomb there? How you know it ain't just a hoax?"

Angeal urged everyone to keep moving and he looked over his shoulder at the inquiring man. "AVALANCHE. They've bombed other ShinRa structures before and this threat is to be taken seriously."

"Bullshit!" The black man stopped in his tracks and Angeal stopped as well. "AVALANCHE only bombs reactors...the un-manned ones! We ain't people killers!"

Angeal recognized the man, then. The bio-mechanical arm was further confirmation. "Barret Wallace, isn't it? Head of the AVALANCHE group in the Midgar area." He recalled the man being brought in for holding earlier in the week, caught trying to plant an explosive in one of the outer Mako reactors of the city. Supposedly, he lost his real arm in a conflict with the ShinRa army in Corel, years ago.

"That's right," agreed Wallace, "and I'm here to tell you, we didn't plant no bomb to blow up this whole city! We don't run that way, no matter what fool lies they been telling you!"

Angeal narrowed his eyes at him. Having no personal dealings with the echo-terrorist group himself, he only had the words of the media and the company to go by. After everything he'd been through, it wasn't hard to imagine the company covering up the truth and ShinRa Inc owned the media, after all. Maybe some of the more severe incidents broadcasted over the news were at least partially due to the actions of ShinRa, and AVALANCHE was a convenient scapegoat.

"If there really _is_ a bomb," urged Hollander, breaking into his thoughts, "then we don't have time to debate who really placed it."

The other prisoners were already out of sight, eager to reach the exit whether there was a bomb or not. "We should get going," agreed Angeal. "Whether AVALANCHE is responsible or someone is just pinning the blame on them, there's been evidence that this threat is real. Get moving."

* * *

"President Shinra is dead."

In the helicopter flying beside Tseng's, Reno and Rude looked at each other before the redhead responded. "You shitting me, boss?"

"I wish I were," answered Tseng's voice grimly. "But Director Lazard and General Sephiroth are with me and they've confirmed it. Someone assassinated the president before he could make it out of his office."

"What about bodyguards?" Rude inquired.

"There weren't any signs of his guards. Either they abandoned their post, he dismissed them or the assassin killed them and disposed of the bodies. We will investigate once we've completed this evacuation, if we can locate and defuse the bomb or confirm that there isn't one after all. For now, I need you to pick up a group of prisoners that Lt. Hewley is escorting to the airport."

The Turk partners looked at one another again and shrugged. If it had been Rufus instead of his old man, they might have been a little upset about it.

* * *

_Seventeen minutes later:_

When Angeal touched down behind the Turk chopper carrying Hollander and the other prisoners, Genesis walked over the highway pavement to him and scanned him for injury before speaking.

"Did you run into any trouble?"

"No," answered the bigger man. He looked over at Zack and nodded at him when the younger Soldier waved at him with an openly relieved expression. Zack resumed his conversation with Kunsel and a few other Soldiers and Angeal turned to Genesis again. "Where is the general?"

"Over there," answered Genesis with a nod in the direction of Tseng's landed chopper. "Discussing the situation with Tseng and the Director. They're planning to send a bomb squad in now that the city is evacuated. Frankly, I'm beginning to doubt there really _was_ an explosive."

"What gives you that idea?"

Genesis glanced around before leaning closer to him and speaking in a low murmur. "Because the president died shortly after issuing the evacuation order, and how would AVALANCHE manage to get a bomb powerful enough to do what they threatened beneath HQ without anyone detecting them? As I said before, if they were capable of this, it stands to reason they would have done it long before now."

"Then what is the purpose of making a bomb threat at all?" Angeal was finding Gen's logic disturbingly sound—especially when he considered Wallace's adamant denial that his insurgent group had anything to do with it.

"Well, don't you think a bomb scare would create a convenient diversion?" Genesis looked out at the city in the distance, highlighted by the orange glow of the setting sun. "They _did_ go after him while everyone was busy following evacuation procedures. I think the bomb was a ruse."

A gigantic explosion from somewhere within the center of Midgar literally blew away Genesis' theory and knocked everyone off their feet. Civilians cried out and children screamed with fear as their parents shielded their tender young forms with their own bodies. Militia scrambled to surround the citizens of Midgar, not only to keep them from running off blindly in a panic, but also to protect them from any debris.

Genesis looked up from his position on the broken concrete when the ground stopped buckling from the shockwaves. The weight of his companion half-sprawled on top of him made it difficult to breath, and his hair was in his eyes. He irritably pushed his bangs aside and squinted at the billowing mushroom cloud darkening the skies in the distance, and he wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Of course, even _I_ can be wrong sometimes," he coughed.

* * *

-To be continued


	16. Chapter 16

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter sixteen: Deepground

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note:_**_ Just a reminder that some time skipping will be necessary for the plot of this story, and as an AU, some events don't occur as they did in canon. _

* * *

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.

* * *

When the aftermath of the explosion began to clear, Genesis wondered why everyone around them began to stare at him. When he shifted beneath Angeal and twisted to see that he was unconscious and bleeding from the temple, he realized that _he_ wasn't the one they were staring at. Angeal's wings had emerged when the explosion went off. It was difficult to tell from his vantage point on his stomach, but to Genesis it appeared that the bigger man had attempted to shield him with his body and his larger wing, but he got knocked out by a stray piece of flying debris. Now the citizens of Midgar stood all around them and the shock of the bomb going off was temporarily forgotten in their shock at seeing a winged Soldier for the first time.

Genesis shut his eyes and grimaced. After all this time, their carefully guarded secret was out in the open for all to see. If it weren't for the concern he felt for his lover, he could have cheerfully throttled him. "Fantastic," he grunted. "Angeal...can you hear me?"

There was no answer, but the redhead took some comfort in the feel of Angeal's breath against his cheek. Zack pushed through the crowd, followed by Sephiroth. Even in their amazement, people moved aside for the silver general as he approached his two lieutenants to check on them.

"...Has a wing!"

"I've heard rumors..."

"...Scientific experiments. I _knew_ Soldiers weren't human!"

"Mommy, is he an angel?"

Genesis heard the snatches of whispered speculation and he barely held his tongue. Soon, he had Zack kneeling on one side and Sephiroth on the other. Together, they eased Angeal off of him and Sephiroth helped him up, while Zack checked Angeal's injuries. People began to talk, their anxiety and confusion growing by the moment. Getting out of the city alive and whole wasn't enough for them; they wanted answers. People lost homes and precious belongings to the bomb and as the city burned in the distance, buildings and structures collapsed in on each other. Witnessing one of their supposed protectors suddenly sprout a supernatural appendage was too much for some people to take, apparently.

"We deserve an explanation!" someone shouted. "Who's responsible for this, and what's going to happen to our jobs...our homes? Where will we go?"

"What _is_ he?" A woman shouted, gesturing at Angeal.

"Some kind of freak, that's what!" A young man started forward with a less than friendly expression on his face, his gaze on Angeal.

Genesis promptly intervened, shoving him back into the crowd. He started to draw his sword on impulse, but Sephiroth stopped him with a hand on his arm and a shake of his head. Genesis restrained himself with difficulty and he glared at the man that had come too close to Angeal and was now recovering his balance.

"Stay back," warned the redhead.

"Maybe the terrorists attacked because of _him_!" cried a woman in the crowd.

Zack reacted with outrage. He looked up from his unconscious mentor and he stared at the people surrounding them. "Are you people _kidding_? All this guy has ever done is try to protect you, and just because he sprouts a wing you're blaming this all on him?"

Genesis and Sephiroth met one another's eyes as people started to shout and the MP's started getting in on it, trying to bring order to the situation. Certain departments like the Turks and the Research department knew about the wings and the history behind them already, but the general public, the press, regular militia and even most of SOLDIER were unaware of them, up until now. Under the circumstances, people weren't likely to stop and listen to reason. They wanted someone to blame for what had just happened to their city and the unconscious titan of a man with the inhuman appendage made a good scapegoat.

The crowds began to press forward, yelling for answers and demanding that Angeal be arrested. Genesis wasn't about to let them touch his lover. When someone in the crowd referred to Angeal as a "monster", the redhead scowled and he did the only thing he could think of to defend Angeal, short of cutting them all down and trying to make off with the big man. He manifested his wing and spread it out wide, startling the nearest row of people into falling back. He looked around at the crowd and the breeze stirred his auburn bangs, blowing them over his narrowed eyes. He raised his sword slowly and ignited the red, eldritch fires along its length, showing them the demon they so badly wanted to see.

"If it's a monster you want," Genesis said in a low, flat voice, "then turn your eyes to me."

Behind him, unseen by Genesis, Sephiroth rolled his eyes.

"Hey, time out," Zack called. "Nobody here is a monster! People, this is crazy! Gen, put the sword down!"

One man in a business suit with a rapidly darkening bruise on his cheek stepped forward, giving Genesis a wary look before addressing Sephiroth. "General, aren't you going to do something about this?"

Sephiroth seemed to consider the question, keeping the point of his long blade lowered to the soil. Finally, he nodded. "Yes. I'm going to stand by these 'monsters'." He then manifested _his_ wing. "Because I'm also one of them."

The collective gasp was obnoxiously loud, given the number of throats it came from. Somewhere far, far in the back of the crowds, an old woman screamed and fainted. Almost the entire population of Midgar was now staring at not one, but _three_ winged men—men whom they knew as heroes and protectors. People automatically looked at Zack next, naturally assuming by his proximity to the officers and his closeness with them that he too had some supernatural mutation.

Zack flushed, looking around uncomfortably at the expectant faces—some of which were his friends like Kunsel. "Uh...sorry. I don't have one of those," he explained, gesturing at Angeal's wing. "I'm just an ordinary Soldier."

* * *

Reeve watched it all unfold with a growing sense of dread. Lazard came up beside him and he came to the same conclusion as Reeve, upon seeing what was happening.

"We're going to have to intervene."

Reeve grimaced and nodded. "I'm afraid so."

Tseng joined them, along with Reno and Rude. "The people want an explanation, and if they don't get something soon, your Soldiers may pay for it."

Reeve looked back at the choppers. "Are Hojo and Hollander both secure, Tseng?"

The Turk director nodded, his dark ponytail lifting in the breeze. "Yes. I'm having them both watched...for their own safety, of course."

Reeve found that interesting. Evidently, he and his cohorts weren't the only ones with lingering suspicions about Hojo...or perhaps the Turks had orders to keep both scientists safe for other reasons. It didn't matter, right now. What mattered was that Genesis looked like he was ready to start using his sword to filet people and the crowd of citizens was in danger of becoming a mob. He turned to his blond companion, whose glasses now sported a hairline fracture in the left lens.

"We should try to bring this under control, while we can," reasoned the engineer. "Otherwise someone's going to get hurt or killed. The military can't fend off the whole population of Midgar, if they turn into a mob."

Reeve pushed through the crowd, calling out for people to make way. Lazard came with him. Usually Reeve was the one to come up with spur of the moment explanations, but this time, Lazard stole the spotlight.

"People, listen to me," Lazard shouted once he made it through the circle of guards holding back the crowd. "These men," he gestured behind him at the three winged Soldiers, "are victims of circumstance! I can assure you, they had _nothing_ to do with the bomb and they have proven their loyalty and dedication to ShinRa and the defense of our nation."

"What are they?" someone demanded.

Lazard held his hands out. "They're men. True, they've been enhanced—as have all ranking operatives of SOLDIER—but they are _still_ human beings."

"Where did their wings come from?" shouted an old man.

Kneeling beside Angeal, Reeve wracked his brain for an answer to that question that wouldn't just make matters worse. Telling a frightened, angry crowd that their government had basically experimented on superhuman operatives to turn them into mutants probably wasn't the ideal explanation to give, however.

Lazard improvised, coming up with a hasty yet plausible story to appease the population. "It happened as a result of an inspection mission," he explained. "Some of you may remember reading about the incident with the Gongaga reactor in the paper, a few years ago."

People nodded and muttered amongst themselves, and Lazard continued. "General Sephiroth and his lieutenants were sent to investigate the situation, help evacuate the population and deal with any hazardous radiation or chemical leaks. Unfortunately, their duties put them in a situation that exposed them to contaminants. The exposure triggered the mutation and as I understand it, the wings grew because of a change in cellular structure caused by their bodies attempting to evolve."

Lazard spared a look around at the Soldiers in question and he frowned at Genesis and motioned him to lower his blade. When the redhead reluctantly complied, he addressed the crowd again. "These Soldiers are the way they are now because they did their jobs, without question. You should all be grateful that they're willing to lay down their lives to defend you."

"Well, _that_ one threatened people," argued a man in the forefront, pointing at Genesis.

Reeve spoke up, this time. "No, he warned them not to come any closer when they tried to advance on his comrade with hostile intentions. What do you expect?"

The crowd began to back off, apparently chagrined by Reeve's admonishment. One young woman hesitantly stepped forward, and she looked at Zack a little shyly. "But _he_ doesn't have any wings. Wasn't he exposed, too?"

Zack evidently wasn't good at playing along with fibs, because he looked up at the girl dumbly before looking at Reeve and Lazard for guidance. "Uh..."

Reeve reached out and patted him on the arm, silently warning him to be quiet. "Lt. Fair was with the evacuees, escorting them out of the jungle to the safe zone. He wasn't exposed to the contamination, fortunately."

Seeing that there was no longer an immediate danger of being lynched, Zack took his attention off the crowd long enough to activate the green materia on his issued bangle and heal the damage to Angeal's head. The big man groaned and Sephiroth stood protectively over him with Genesis as Zack helped him sit up. Angeal put a hand to his head and his wing folded in tightly of its own accord as he tried to get his bearings.

"Zack...what happened? Is anyone injured?"

"Not yet," answered Genesis grimly before Zack could respond. He kept his sword lowered, but ready. "We'll see how long that lasts."

Angeal looked up at him and his expression changed upon noticing the sweeping raven wing. He looked at Sephiroth with parted lips, possibly to ask a question. Seeing that the general had also revealed his wing seemed to snap Angeal out of his daze and make him realize that his own winged mutations were out for everyone to see.

Angeal shut his eyes and took a slow breath. "So now they know."

"It's okay, big guy," Zack soothed, casting a wary look around at the ogling citizens and militia. "The Director already explained the deal with your wings."

Lazard nodded, watching Angeal with a look that silently warned him not to talk about the issue further. "Your circumstances have been explained, and nothing more needs to be said about it."

Genesis finally began to relax a little. "Right now, we need to have you examined for concussion and find out what to do next. Midgar is...well, let's just say we won't be calling it 'home' again for a while."

Angeal opened his eyes and twisted around to look. Seeing the burning city in the distance, he suppressed a soft groan and struggled to his feet with Zack's help. He turned to Sephiroth with a carefully controlled expression on his chiseled features. "General, how many casualties?"

"Minimum," answered Sephiroth, his gaze lingering on the billowing smoke cloud over Midgar. "Thanks to everyone's quick responses and cooperation, we evacuated most everyone from the city before the event. The numbers of people unaccounted for haven't been figured yet, however. We have more immediate concerns."

Tseng came forward, bringing a medic with him to look at Angeal. "I've spoken with the Vice President. His orders are to set up a camp safely away from ground zero until additional transport arrives to help relocate the population. When we can determine that it's safe enough to send teams in, the first priority is to contain the fires and minimize the spread of destruction. Search and rescue teams can then be sent in, along with investigative teams. The Turks will assist with the latter."

"Of course they will," Lazard answered smoothly.

Having the Turks on the job would ensure that any answers they uncovered in the rubble would remain safely classified. If the Rufus and the department heads decided the public needed to know the information, it would be released to the press. That was just how ShinRa always operated.

* * *

As it turned out, there were more casualties than first suspected. Some people evidently took too long gathering personal belongings, believing they had more time. Others didn't take the warnings seriously, believing it was only a hoax concocted to cause rioting in the streets. Some got caught up trying to meet up with friends or family, and unbeknownst to rescue parties, others were being held prisoner in the very facility President Shinra had hoped to destroy.

Reeve sent in the bomb squad first, equipped with specialized body armor to protect against radiation, absorb pressure and repel heat. They rode on hover boards and they were equipped with defensive materia, extinguishers, bomb defusing kits and scanners. They were short on some supplies due to the haste in which they had to depart the city, but their main concern now was locating any further explosives and containing chemicals and flames so that the other teams could do their jobs.

After a couple of hours work, they got confirmation that there were no other detectable explosives within range of ground zero. They sealed off the central pillar and the areas surrounding it, containing any fires they couldn't put out so that they wouldn't spread to the Mako reactors at the outer edges of the city perimeter. The rescue and investigation teams assembled, equipped with scanning devices to detect human life, medical equipment and materia. Zack, Angeal and Genesis each led search and rescue teams, while Sephiroth joined Tseng and the Turks on the investigative teams.

Just as they were about to board a chopper to head back into the city, Tseng got some unexpected news and he put his departure on hold to inform Lazard directly. The SOLDIER director looked up from the data screen he was working over when Tseng entered his tent. The Wutaian features were somber as the Turk director informed him that Palmer had passed away.

Lazard looked up at him with blatant surprise. "How?" he demanded. "When?"

Reeve overheard and he interrupted his link with the communication system to join them. "He wasn't injured," he said with certainty. "He didn't even suffer a scratch in the evacuation, unless he got hit by some debris after the explosion, like Lt. Hewley."

"It wasn't an injury," explained Tseng. "It was a heart attack. Apparently, he was unconscious up until some twenty minutes ago and when he woke up and heard the news, he went into a panic. He went into pulmonary failure shortly after that and our medics couldn't revive him. I've sent word to the Vice President informing him of his demise. I trust the two of you can take care of the rest."

Lazard grimaced with regret. "Of course, I'll make whatever arrangements need to be made. I presume we need to try and retrieve any important files on the Space Program, as well as Palmer's personal data."

Tseng nodded, his dark gaze sliding to Reeve. "If possible. There may be information in there we can use."

"Doubtful," sighed Lazard. "The Space Program has been a joke for years now, and to put it kindly, Palmer isn't the sort to know _how_ to hide vital data."

Tseng smirked subtly at the blond's covert way of saying Palmer was too stupid to be in on a conspiracy. "I agree with your opinion, but if there's even the slightest chance he might have had something we can use, the VP wants it found. Consider it a formality, but don't put it off for too long." He looked at Reeve and a frown marred his smooth features. "Tuesti, will you do this?"

Reeve shook himself out of whatever thoughts put that troubled expression on his face. "Sure, I can do that. I'll get started on it right away."

Tseng nodded in satisfaction and bid them both farewell before leaving the tent to join his investigation team. When they were alone again, Lazard looked over at the older man with a frown of concern. Reeve looked as though he was trying to solve a complex equation in his head and he wasn't much liking the results.

"Will you share, or should I start guessing what has you looking so...cramped?"

Reeve's brown gaze was distracted and guilty as he answered in a soft, low tone. "I _killed_ the bastard."

"Pardon?" Lazard's brows lifted inquisitively.

Reeve gave a cursive glance around before sidling closer to Lazard. "While we were evacuating the lower sectors, Palmer got word that President Shinra was assassinated. He started running off at the mouth that we were going to be next, blabbering about terrorists coming to kill us all. I couldn't shut him up about it and people were starting to take notice and get scared...so I tazered him to shut him up."

Lazard's mouth went through an interesting little twitch before he responded. "I'm sure you had no other recourse, and we've all seen Palmer get worked up before. That doesn't mean you _killed_ him, Reeve. He was alive and well up until a short while ago."

"Maybe I didn't shoot him or stab him, but shocking him with three-hundred thousand volts of electricity couldn't have helped." Reeve scrubbed his face with a palm and shook his head. "I never did like the whining butterball, but it should have occurred to me that shocking a man with his cholesterol levels and medical history wasn't the best way to shut him up."

Lazard struggled for something to say to that. Finally, he shrugged and patted Reeve on the shoulder. "As you said; Palmer had a medical history because of his poor diet and lack of exercise. For all you know, he might have been having a heart attack already when you tazered him, and the jolt you gave him kept him going for a little while longer."

Reeve's frown didn't diminish. "That's just speculation, and it doesn't excuse my approach to handling his hysterics."

"Then consider the lives you may have saved by putting a stop to his dramatics," urged Lazard. "You had the safety of hundreds of people to think of, and if his panic had been allowed to spread, you probably wouldn't have gotten them out of the city before time ran out. You might have been killed, too. Try to look at it objectively, Reeve."

The older man seemed at least a little comforted by his reasoning. "I suppose I could look at it that way. It still seems cold to me, though. Palmer was annoying, but he was relatively harmless compared to the rest of us."

"His death was more his own fault than yours," insisted Lazard. "And again, I remind you that your intention was only to shut him up, not to kill him. There's no time or room for guilt right now, Tuesti. We've got to put it aside and concentrate on more immediate issues. Palmer's troubles are over."

Reeve breathed a sigh and nodded. "Of course, you're right. This isn't helping anything or anybody."

Satisfied with the response, Lazard returned his attention to his notebook computer—which was sitting on a crate for lack of a desk or table. He stood over the device and checked the latest statistics before reaching for his communication headset to put it on. Fortunately, satellite communications were still working fine. Lazard was about to tune into Sephiroth's channel to monitor the progress, when Reeve made an observation that gave him pause and put a scowl on his lips.

"You know, when it comes to how you handle crisis situations and distance yourself from them, you and Rufus are a lot alike."

* * *

"Move faster," Angeal ordered as he helped his men clear the rubble. "This whole structure could collapse on this family."

The cries of the children trapped beneath the rubble grew more coherent as they cleared the debris away, and Zack immediately squirmed into an opening as soon as it was big enough. He called out to his companions from inside, once he reached the trapped civilians.

"There's a guy in here with them," he called, "And...a lady...but she's gone."

"Mama," sobbed a little girl's voice from inside the rubble.

Angeal compressed his lips and glanced sidelong at Genesis before speaking again. "Zack, lift the children up first, followed by the adult."

"Got it," assured the younger Soldier.

A few minutes later, a tear-streaked, soot-smudged face of a six-year old girl emerged, and the rescue operatives pulled her out carefully and bundled her up. She was carried away for immediate oxygen treatment and medical care while they finished extracting her father and younger brother. Angeal was uncommonly impatient and snappy as they worked, and when he shoved an MP away for asking an annoying question, Genesis took him aside and confronted him.

"Zack and Kunsel can handle it for a few moments," insisted Genesis when Angeal started to argue with him. "Come here with me, Hewley."

The big man's chiseled face held a stony expression on it as his redheaded companion urged him away from the rest of the team. Genesis examined him with narrowed, suspicious eyes before gathering his thoughts and speaking.

"I would brush this behavior off as angst caused by the roast we narrowly escaped," Genesis said, "except that the Angeal Hewley I've always known is altruistic to a fault, even when he's suffering himself."

Angeal shrugged and looked toward the still-billowing cloud in the center of the city, where headquarters once stood. "I'm not permitted to have limits?"

"Of course you are," assured Genesis, "but now you're acting like _me_, and that's just disturbing. What's beneath the surface, Hewley? I need you fully alert and you're...distracted."

The big man leaned against the brick wall of the building behind him and he looked askew at his lover, the stoic mask cracking to reveal a touch of angst in his expression. "I left something behind, when this started. I didn't think about it and it's just a trivial thing...just an old picture...but it was all I had left of _her_. That photo I had of my mother and I; the one I kept on entertainment unit. It's gone, now."

Genesis' expression softened with understanding, and then it flickered with something else. He reached into the inner pocket of his long jacket and he almost looked sheepish. "Actually, you're wrong about that."

He produced his hardbound copy of "Loveless" and he opened the cover for Angeal's inspection, revealing a slightly faded photo of a thirteen-year old Angeal standing outside a modest, run down little house. His mother stood beside him with an arm around him and they were both smiling at the camera, seemingly happy despite their obviously poor status.

"I snatched it from its frame on a whim," explained Genesis while Angeal ogled him, "when we stopped by our quarters to collect our spare weapons. You had already headed out the door and I was about to follow you, but I spotted this and I thought...well, I don't know _what_ I thought, but it seemed like a good idea, at the time. Maybe the goddess was warning me, or maybe I've just become so cynical that I always expect the worst...but I knew it was your only remaining photo of her, so I took it."

Angeal stared at the picture before looking at his companion's face. Genesis avoided his eyes, blushing self-consciously at the gratitude in his companion's expression. He tried to sound blasé. "I would have said something to you, if I knew it would really come to this. We've had other things to worry about, though."

"Gen," Angeal murmured. He briefly touched the picture, swallowed, and then withdrew his gloved hand. "Thank you. I know I don't have to tell you what this means to me."

Genesis shrugged, glancing uncomfortably at his oldest friend and lover. "My neurotic impulses seem to have paid off, for once. Let's not make a big deal of this. You can relax now, though. Mother Hewley is safe with me."

"Yes," agreed Angeal, unable to keep the warmth and amusement from creeping into his tone. "Safer than she could be anywhere else, I imagine. In fact, I think I'd prefer you to keep the picture there in your book, until we've finished here. Will you do that for me, Genesis?"

The redhead gently shut the book and replaced it in his pocket with a nod. "You know I will."

Angeal nodded. "Good. Thank you."

Genesis gave him a brief, uncontrollable little smile. "Only _you _could inspire such sentiment."

Zack started to call out for them, interrupting the moment. It was time to move on and start dividing their teams to cover more ground. The danger to the outer reactors was contained, but there were still trapped people within the city and there was a lot of work to do, before they were finished. Genesis reached out and patted one of his lover's broad shoulders, sparing an encouraging smile meant for Angeal alone. It was the most he could give him, under the circumstances.

"Watch your ass."

Angeal nodded and patted him back. "Same to you."

* * *

"Yo boss, what do ya make of _this_?" Reno approached Tseng with something that appeared to be a broken metal collar, dug out of the ruins of Headquarters. "I found this thing next to it. Looks like a remote control or something and they've both got the same serial numbers on them. I'm not as sharp as Tuesti when it comes to engineering, but I'd almost say this remote goes with this collar thingy."

Tseng took the items from his redheaded companion with a frown, studying them under the beam of the flashlights. "I agree, but to what purpose? I've never seen anything like this. General?"

Sephiroth leaned in closer to Tseng and Reno to examine the items as well. He shook his head. "Nothing official. If this is company issued equipment, SOLDIER wasn't informed of it."

"Maybe we're just looking at someone's fuck toys," suggested Reno, nudging his partner.

Rude grunted and glanced at the items. "Maybe. Not _mine_, though."

Tseng considered it, and the idea had merit. ShinRa personnel weren't exactly known for their upstanding morals and most of the staff was known well by the Honeybee Inn. Still, the technological complexity of the electronic collar and the remote struck him as a bit too advanced for fetish paraphernalia. He wondered if it was possible that the collar was some sort of detonation device someone had worn, but then how could it have survived the blast, and why was the remote for it anywhere near it?

"Scan it and bag it," he ordered. "Keep searching the area. General Sephiroth, if you wouldn't mind surveying parts out of our immediate reach?"

"Of course," agreed the SOLDIER operative, and he manifested his wing and took to the air.

Reno smacked a staring Turk in the back of the head. "Keep your mind on the job," he ordered. "Freak out about the wing later, got it?"

Elena's voice broke through the frequency, and there was a lot of static interference. "Sir? Cissnei...on our way. VP Rufus sent...hour behind us. She wants to know...found anything...explosion?"

Tseng exchanged frowns with Reno and Rude before adjusting his transmitter and responding. "Elena, you're breaking up. Please repeat."

"Scarlet is an hour behind us," obliged the blonde Turk. "Cissnei and I...together. Our ETA is about two hours. Do you...evidence to the cause of the explosion, Sir?"

Tseng pieced it all together enough to understand. "As far as we can ascertain, the terrorist threat was genuine and the bomb was somehow planted beneath HQ. We've found some inconclusive evidence that may suggest the bomb was attached to a person, but we are still excavating for clues and the situation is unstable, at best."

"I see," answered Elena. "I'll relay the information. We'll see you when we arrive, Director."

"Until then."

Tseng ended the transmission and he felt briefly annoyed that Scarlet hadn't bothered to contact him herself to ask these questions, if she was really so interested in what they did or didn't find in their search, so far. She always liked to demonstrate her status whenever possible, though, and her social skills were somewhat lacking. It wasn't that surprising to him that she would assign a mediator.

"Keep a sharp eye out," he advised his fellow Turks, glancing up at the smoky night sky, where Sephiroth soared overhead. It was a bit startling to have such an open view, from this part of the city. The magnitude of what had happened started to sink in. They were literally standing on the ruins of his office building. Uptown Midgar was scattered all around them...merged with Downtown Midgar. The sky had literally fallen.

* * *

Lazard came out of his tent to greet them when he got word that Scarlet and her team had arrived. Under the morbid circumstances, they were cordial to each other and they put aside their differences in the interest of making things go smoother. Scarlet informed him that Rufus would ascend to the presidency after the situation in Midgar was brought under control. The VP was currently making arrangements in Junon to house some of the refugees. Kalm and Fort Condor were both prepared to take some residents in and lighten the burden on Junon, until they could clean up and rebuild Midgar.

With Scarlet's help, Lazard began to oversee the transport of citizens. They would drop off as many families as possible in Kalm town first, before taking people to Junon and Ft. Condor. They had just finished loading two transport choppers when Reeve came stumbling out of the command tent, wearing an urgent, almost enraged expression on his face. He looked around for a moment until he spotted Professor Hojo, still being watched by a couple of Turks by Tseng's order.

Lazard stopped speaking to Scarlet and he frowned curiously as he watched the head of Urban Development advance upon Hojo. He'd never seen Reeve Tuesti look like that before, and when the older man pointed at Hojo and demanded that he be put under arrest immediately, a chill went up his spine.

"What now?" groused Scarlet as she and Lazard hurried over to the scene.

Lazard shook his head. "I have no idea, but I'm willing to hazard a guess that it's got something to do with Palmer's files."

"He found something in Palmer's database?" Her voice was oddly tense.

"Evidently," snapped Lazard, his diplomacy slowly going out the window with his frustration. "Reeve, what's this all about?"

Reeve was practically livid as he turned to face Lazard. "I've been suspecting a 'ghost in the machine' for some time now, and I was right! We've been looking in the wrong places, Lazard. I found encrypted data hidden in Palmer's files and when I began to extract it, something came after me."

Lazard's brows furrowed over the rims of his glasses. "I don't understand. What could 'come after you' through a data network? Unless you're talking about a firewall blocking your access?"

"No, I'm not talking about any firewall." Reeve's voice was grimly intense, his dark gaze faintly horrified. "I'm talking about a living entity. Hojo came after me."

Lazard didn't think it was possible for his mind to boggle more thoroughly. "Hojo. How could he come after you when he's been out here, with no access to a computer system of any sort?"

Reeve shook his head and scowled at the professor when Hojo began to laugh softly. "Don't ask me how he did it, but he's created an artificial intelligence with his consciousness, and he's planted it in the web. Gaia only knows how long it's been in there, infecting the system and accessing everyone's information!"

Hojo's laughter increased, chilling and macabre. "You can't stop it now," he informed between chuckles. "It's already begun!"

Reeve grabbed hold of the professor's lab coat and shook him. "You twisted bastard! What have you _done_?"

"I think the evidence is right here before us," answered Lazard with dry, forced calm as he indicated the ravaged city in the distance. "You aren't going to get answers from him that way, Tuesti. Move aside and let our people cuff him and take him into custody."

Reeve let go of Hojo reluctantly, his hands shaking with anger. He seemed to notice Scarlet for the first time and he glared at her. "While you're at it, arrest that broad, too. She's in on whatever insanity Hojo's been concocting."

Scarlet looked around with an alarmed, startled expression. "You're out of your head, Tuesti! I don't know what you're talking about!" She backed away from the nearby Turks and MP's, who were approaching her uncertainly.

"Reeve, are you _sure_ about this?" Lazard asked cautiously, narrowing his eyes on the blonde woman. "Because if you aren't and we arrest her under false premises, it's going to cause a world of trouble for both of us."

"Her name came up in the files I found, before the AI came after me," answered Reeve with conviction. "I don't know how involved she is in it yet, but she definitely had something to do with it. Heidegger's name came up too...but we can't very well arrest a dead man."

Lazard sighed. "No, we can't. Guards, take Scarlet into custody until otherwise instructed."

"You can't do this," she protested, reaching for the gun strapped to her thigh beneath her crimson, slinky dress. "I'm a major department head of this corporation! The Vice President will hear about this!"

"Ma'am, drop the gun," warned the lead MP, raising his weapon against her. "We don't want to shoot you, but we will if you force us to."

Lazard tried to reason with her. "If you're innocent of collaborating with Hojo, you have nothing to worry about. This is only a temporary situation, until we can get this cleared up. You know we can't take any chances, Scarlet. Just cooperate with us, so we can straighten this out. You have nowhere to run and you have six weapons pointing back at you."

"Seven," corrected Reeve, drawing his own pistol to take aim at her. "And honey, I don't mind performing an impromptu frontal lobotomy on you."

She glared impotently at Reeve, her violet eyes betraying fear she couldn't quite disguise. "You have no idea what you're up against."

Lazard raised his eyebrows. "Why don't you tell us, then?"

She looked around at the guards, evidently realizing there was no escape. "I'll talk to the Vice President. Nobody else." She held her gun out and dropped it to the dirt, before putting her hands behind her head. The guards converged on her and they quickly cuffed her and led her away with Hojo, to be placed in a transport rover and kept under guard.

Lazard watched them go and he sighed again, scratching his head. "I don't understand _any_ of this."

"Come inside the tent with me," urged Reeve as he replaced his pistol. "I'll explain what I've found, but I think I've only scratched the surface."

* * *

_To the office of Rufus Shinra, Vice President of ShinRa Inc._

_Sir,_

_Let me begin by offering my condolences on the loss of your father. Please be assured that you have the undivided loyalty and support of the Turks. We are yours to command. Unfortunately, I have grave news regarding the situation in Midgar and the truth behind the explosion. AVALANCHE wasn't responsible. It was in fact triggered by President Shinra himself, just before his untimely demise. _

_We have all been mislead, Sir. Your father was conducting a secret project known as "Deepground", and as far as we have been able to ascertain with the information Tuesti procured, Hojo, Heidegger and Scarlet were all involved in it. Hollander apparently confessed to Lt. Hewley some time ago that he worked on the project briefly, but he was taken off of it before it reached fruition and he swears he had no idea it was still in operation. _

_We found the evidence in Palmer's database, after his demise. I doubt he even knew it was there. Hojo placed it there, knowing we weren't likely to search for it. He used Palmer as a mule, of sorts. This project has been going on for nearly two decades, right beneath our feet in Midgar. Evidence suggests that a secret sector was built beneath the city and it started out as a hospital for recovering SOLDIER operatives injured in the field. They began to experiment on those retrieved from battle and eventually, they started abducting people for the project. _

_This answers the question of where all of these "recruits" we Turks have been collecting over the years have been going. It seems our speculation that they didn't survive the enhancement process may have been incorrect. They were never put under the normal SOLDIER enhancement process, but a more rigorous one that none of us even knew about. The data suggests that the intent behind it was to create an army of even more powerful Soldiers, using a combination of Mako enhancement and genetic splicing. They were building off old research to accomplish greater results, but something went wrong. _

_For whatever reason, President Shinra decided to activate a self-destruct mechanism, somewhere within the core of the hidden "Sector 0". I presume his intention was to destroy Deepground and all evidence of its existence, but we may never know for certain. The scanners aren't detecting any sign of life in the area presumed to be the location of Sector 0, so whomever might have been alive under there is either dead or gone, now. Hojo is in some form of self-induced euphoria, barely coherent through his obvious glee over this catastrophe. He has released some form of virus into the network, which makes it difficult at best to locate and procure data relating to "Deepground". _

_Commissioner Tuesti is making good use of his skills, however. He has already retrieved several files and he is working on decrypting them as I write this report. We will of course arrange a meeting to discuss this matter thoroughly with you, once we arrive in Junon. Due to the nature of these events, I think its best we leave further details for when we can speak face to face, in a secured, private location. _

_I am sending Scarlet and Hojo to Junon with a SOLDIER escort led by General Sephiroth. She has refused to speak further to anyone except for you, and I've therefore decided to allow you the chance to get information from her before we have to move on to less pleasant methods of extraction. _

_Frankly sir, Scarlet isn't likely to give up any information she doesn't want us to have, no matter what method we use to persuade her. Take it from one who knows; torture will not work on this woman. I hope that you can convince her to cooperate willingly._

_-Tseng_

* * *

-To be continued


	17. Chapter 17

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter seventeen: Limits

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.

* * *

Two days after the incident, Rufus held a confidential meeting in Junon. Because of his direct involvement in recent events and his collaboration with the three senior SOLDIER officers, Zack was permitted to attend, as well. The conspicuous absence of President Shinra, Scarlet, Heidegger, Palmer and Hojo cast a foreboding pall over the assembly, reminding them all of the severity of the situation. In light of how quickly they'd lost key members of the corporation in such a short time, Lazard and Rufus were almost civil to one another.

"I've assigned the space program over to a pilot by the name of Cid Highwind," Rufus announced once the meeting was underway. "Before my father cut funding to the program, Captain Highwind was working on a rocket for a space launch program. It never reached completion, but there's still a lot of potential there and Highwind knows more about avionics and rockets than anyone currently on our administration—therefore, I've replaced Palmer with him."

Lazard frowned. "With all due respect, I don't think this is the time to be looking to the stars."

Rufus likewise tempered his response, keeping his tone polite for the sake of collaboration. "Of course, we have bigger concerns than reviving the Space Program, but I'd rather not leave departments unmanaged and I believe Highwind will be more competent than Palmer ever was—provided he can learn some semblance of manners."

"I...concur," agreed Lazard. They couldn't very well leave whole departments unsupervised, and the remaining executives had enough responsibilities, without trying to juggle other departments as well. "Where does this leave the Science and Research department, then?"

Rufus glanced at Tseng and he got out of his seat and walked over to the window overlooking the city below, before answering. "I'm reinstating Hollander, for now. Yes, he's moved against this company before, but his betrayal was mild compared to the damage Hojo has caused—and may still be causing. We need a top-ranking scientific mind heading our research department, and I've chosen the lesser of two evils."

"You believe Hollander can be trusted?" queried Sephiroth dubiously.

Rufus turned around and smirked, absently adjusting the collar of his white suit. "Of _course_ not, General. I'm not a fool...but I _am_ an opportunist. As I said, we need someone especially brilliant overseeing the research—especially now that we know Hojo was involved in secret biological experimentation. Hollander was involved in the project at the beginning and he claims to have some understanding of what they were trying to do. Even if he's lying, he's the only scientist we have with credentials comparable to Hojo, and I believe he'll be easier to control."

"No shit," snorted Reno. "Hojo's gone off the deep end, man."

Rufus chose not to comment on that. "I want reports on everyone's progress, before we proceed further with this meeting."

"All citizens have been successfully relocated," obliged Reeve. "There are still missing persons unaccounted for, but most went missing before this disaster struck."

"SOLDIER lost two operatives during the event," Sephiroth reported next. "Other than that, injuries were minimum. We're prepared to assist with any further investigations you deem necessary."

Rufus eyed Sephiroth up and down, before looking at Angeal and Genesis calculatingly. "Word had spread about your...enhancements. I think it would be best if all three of you avoid venturing out in public, except when necessary to conduct missions. This goes for Fair, too."

"Me? Why?" Zack blinked at the president. "I don't have a wing."

"But you're part of their elite group," explained Rufus with a wave of his hand at the three senior officers. "And people know it. We don't need civilians distracting any of you from your duties with their questions or demands, and we don't need added publicity."

"Think of yourself as a celebrity, kid," suggested Reeve with a pacifying smile Zack's way. "You're famous now, and you need to keep a low profile while this investigation is going on. Let the hype die down a little and focus on the job."

"It's also a safety matter," agreed Lazard. "Some people out there still have hostile feelings toward our winged officers, I'm sure. What happened in Midgar has the public shaken up, and people tend to fear what they don't understand. For now, the less exposure the four of you have, the better off everyone will be."

"People will get used to it, eventually," predicted Reeve.

Genesis scowled at him. "Really." He manifested his wing, drawing stares from everyone in the room. "Because it's been five years now, and I have yet to 'get used to it', myself. I somehow doubt the craven masses of uneducated yokels will—"

"Enough," interrupted Sephiroth, cutting off the redhead's growing tirade. "I think what they are trying to say is that eventually, people won't be so inclined to lynch us. The shock is still too fresh in their minds, however."

"But, how are they ever going to get used to it if you guys stay hidden away?" reasoned Zack, spreading his hands. "Wouldn't it make more sense to mingle with the 'regulars' more, so they can see you guys are still people, like them?"

"He's got a good point, yo," Reno agreed, pointing the pen he'd been chewing on at Zack. "The more you're exposed to something, the less shocking it is. Think about it; if you popped a porno flick into that projector right now, I'd barely blink...but I'll bet Hewley over there would trip over himself trying to turn away."

Angeal crossed his powerful arms over his chest and leaned closer to Genesis. "Why does everyone assume I can't handle adult entertainment?"

"Because you're wholesome," muttered the redhead back with a smirk. "Unlike the rest of us."

Angeal cleared his throat self-consciously as the others watched him with amusement. Tseng came to his rescue, drawing everyone's attention away from him. "It does raise an interesting question. Would we really be better off hiding these men away from society, or would we get more positive results by allowing them to work out in the open, with the other SOLDIER operatives and militia?"

"I say let 'em out in the open," insisted Reno, "instead of keeping them hidden like some dirty little secret. Zack's got the right idea."

Rufus thought about it for a moment, nodding slowly. "I can see the benefit in that plan. What do the rest of you think?"

"I think it's a winner, personally," answered Reeve. "Zack's logic is simple but unavoidably sound, and I have a feeling these men are going to be needed a _lot_ in the future, if Hojo's threats are to be believed. Maybe a low profile really is the opposite of what they need to maintain, right now."

Lazard sighed. "I'm opposed to pushing people's limits too far. We must consider the strained atmosphere people are living under, right now. With the fear of terrorism hanging over their heads, they aren't going to be inclined to accept something so new and strange to them. I think we should give them more time."

Genesis coughed to gain their attention. "Excuse me, but I feel obligated to point out the fact that people have _already_ been exposed to the strangeness of our mutations. It's a bit late to try sheltering them from it now." He made a sweeping gesture with his right hand. "Barn door. Chocobo. Gone." He kissed his first two fingers and waved goodbye to the imaginary chocobo.

"Lieutenant Rhapsodos has painted a colorful mental image," Sephiroth announced dryly, "and as much as I'd like to refute his observation, he's right. So are Zackary and Reno, for that matter. The public already knows about us and considering that we have no way to mass hypnotize them into forgetting what they've seen or heard, it's pointless to try and hide it, now. I also agree with Director Lazard too, however. People have their limits and we're better off not testing them."

"Then we need to meet somewhere in the middle," reasoned Angeal. "We can help them adjust to what we are without throwing it in their faces."

Genesis clucked his tongue. "So then I take it the 'Winged Pride' parade is out of the question."

Angeal frowned at him as Reno guffawed behind his hand. "Get serious, Genesis. This isn't a joking matter. We narrowly avoided being mobbed after the bomb went off in Midgar."

"I was merely pointing out the flaw in your plan—albeit with sarcastic flair. You're proposing we walk on eggshells for these ingrates. I disagree. Why in Minerva's name should we—their _protectors_—continue to hide or apologize for this?" He spread his wing slowly and gracefully, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room. "This is what we _are_ now, Angeal, and monsters or not, it isn't our problem if they can't handle that. I'm done with censoring myself for the intolerance of others. They can either accept the fact that we come with wings now, or they can make due with one less 'monster' to babysit them."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes at the redhead. "What exactly are you saying, Lieutenant?"

Genesis hesitated for a second, looking at Angeal with a flash of uncertainty in his eyes before answering with a tired sigh. "I'm saying I'm finished trying not to offend the delicate sensibilities of the ignorant masses, so they can go on pretending everything is status quo in their pathetic little bubbles of reality."

"Genesis," began Angeal uncomfortably, obviously torn.

"No, Angeal." Genesis' aqua gaze flashed on him. "We have given sweat, blood and tears for this organization. We didn't choose this, and I won't be ShinRa's 'dirty little secret', as Reno so aptly put it. If you and Sephiroth want to play along with this shame game and keep apologizing to the world for being monsters, feel free. I, however, will defect again before I bend over for the masses."

Genesis turned away then, and he left the room while the others stared after him. Sephiroth found his tongue after the door shut again. "I apologize. Lt. Rhapsodos—"

"Doesn't suffer fools gladly," finished Tseng softly, before the general could finish. The Turk director had a look of admiration on his aristocratic features, and he looked at Lazard. "You were saying people have their limits, Deusericus. I believe that goes for Soldiers, as well."

"I don't blame him," Zack announced with an accusing look at Lazard. "How much crap are these guys supposed to take, Director?"

"Lazard, I advise you to bring this under control quickly," warned Rufus in an exasperated tone. "We don't have time for theatrics."

The SOLDIER director cursed under his breath, and Angeal quickly volunteered to try and salvage the situation. "I'll go after him," assured the big man. "I think once he calms down, I can talk some sense into him."

Sephiroth nodded and patted him on the arm, his emerald gaze betraying a hint of gratitude. "I'll finish up here."

Angeal left without another word and once he was gone, Rufus leaned back in his chair and cast a look around the room. "Would anyone else like to leave the meeting or otherwise disrupt it? Please, don't let the severity of our situation stop you."

Reno looked like he might say something, but Rude nudged him covertly and he wisely kept his mouth shut. Rufus looked around calmly. "Anyone? No? Then maybe we can discuss the information Scarlet has given me...unless of course you have somewhere better to be."

* * *

After a bit of searching and thought, Angeal found Genesis on top of the Junon cannon, looking out at the ocean. As the big man touched down on the huge cylinder structure, he could tell that his lover was genuinely, deeply disturbed. Ordinarily, Genesis would turn to "Loveless" for inspiration or comfort at a time like this, but now he just stood broodingly, watching the horizon as if seeking hidden answers in clouds hanging over the ocean. Not even his favorite piece of literary art was enough to console him, now.

Angeal approached quietly, and he could tell by the way Gen's head turned ever so slightly that he was aware of his presence. The more he thought about what he'd said in that board room, the more he began to understand. Angeal came up beside the redhead and he looked out over the water with him for a few seconds, before speaking.

"That wasn't just about the wings, was it?"

Genesis lowered his gaze and smirked without humor. The salty breeze stirred his hair and carried his spiced scent over to Angeal. "You really _do_ know me too well."

"Maybe not." Angeal looked at him with troubled blue eyes, his dark brows drawn. "I still don't know exactly what else it was about; I just know it's about more than the wings. Is it because we're dealing with more hidden conspiracies from the research department?"

Genesis shook his head and sighed, drawing his blade to inspect the length of it absently. "No, that isn't it. I've come to expect lies and betrayal from them, by now. This latest fracas didn't shatter any illusions of trust, for me."

"Then what is it?"

Genesis turned his head to look at him. "It's personal."

Angeal gave him a pained little smile. "Can't you do better than that? After all this time, you should at least trust _me_ by now."

Genesis compressed his lips and began to pace, absently swinging his sword to make it sing through the air. "I do. You'll think it's stupid, though."

"How do you know, if you won't tell me?" he pressed. His smile grew, despite his concern. Genesis' boyish behavior indicated he was struggling with his feelings again...most likely ones of the sentimental variety. "I promise, I won't think it's stupid."

Genesis looked at him through wind-blown locks of auburn hair. His eyes were wary as he hesitantly tried to explain. "It's...us. Hiding. We're _always_ hiding what we are from the world."

Angeal frowned again, confused. "I thought this was about more than the wings."

"I don't mean the wings," elaborated the redhead. "I mean _us_. Our relationship, Angeal."

The big man's expression softened with understanding. "Oh. I didn't realize it was bothering you that much."

"Ordinarily, it wouldn't. We agreed to keep our private life private and there's practical wisdom in that." Genesis looked out over the water again. "But in that conference room, it struck me how _much_ we hide from the world. It made perfect sense before, but now that the big secret it out, I find myself questioning why anyone would suggest we try to stuff it back into the box."

"We went over this in there," Angeal answered gently. "People are scared. They need time."

"And why is it always up to us to assuage their fears?" demanded Genesis, turning to face Angeal again. He searched the taller man's eyes, an unhappy frown pulling at his lips. "When I confronted those people and let my wing come out, I felt...almost...free. This burden of shame I've carried for what I am finally seemed to lift a little, once I revealed my nature to the world. It was liberating, Angeal. No matter what they thought of me, no matter what I thought of _myself_, at least I was no longer hiding."

Angeal nodded, understanding more than he cared to admit. He reached out and put a supportive hand on Genesis' shoulder. "No one can blame you for feeling this way. There's nothing stupid about it."

"Then you'll understand why I meant what I said in there." Genesis' features hardened with determination. "I will defect before I agree to pretend to be something I'm not. We aren't like them anymore, Angeal. They at _least_ owe us the courtesy of accepting that and letting us be what we may be. I think it's a small compromise to make, in exchange for our services."

Angeal nodded again. "I agree; it's a reasonable request. We should discuss it with the others."

Genesis' wary look returned. "You aren't just trying to humor me to keep me from leaving, are you?"

Angeal stepped closer to him, putting both hands on his shoulders as he shook his head. "No. I really agree with you. I just wish you had said it like that in the conference room, instead of taking off. I'm going to support you on this, but you have to stay long enough to discuss it with them and give them a chance to do the right thing. Do I have your word on that?"

Genesis sighed. "I...suppose."

"Look at me."

The redhead grumbled under his breath before meeting Angeal's eyes. "Yes, I swear not to defect until after I've given them the chance to agree to my terms. Happy?"

Angeal's mouth twitched. "A little less worried, at least."

"Well, you can stop worrying. You've managed to talk me into...wait...what are you doing?"

Angeal had cupped Genesis' face in his hands and he continued closing the distance between their mouths. "I'm engaging in a public display of affection," he answered, "and if someone happens to look up and see us, fuck it."

Genesis' jaw dropped in response to Angeal dropping the "F-Bomb", but the bigger Soldier's mouth covered his before he could issue a surprised exclamation.

* * *

When the meeting finished, Sephiroth and Zack both went looking for their comrades, concerned that they'd both "flown the coop" again, in Zack's words. The two Banoran Soldiers were inseparable and by now, it was a given that if one of them decided to leave, the other would be sure to follow. Because of some of his past experiences with his old friends, Sephiroth thought to look on top of the cannon after searching other likely areas of the city.

When he landed on the cannon and spotted the two of them snuggled up at the base of the weapon under Genesis' red coat, he contacted Zack with a text to inform him. Sephiroth hesitated after putting his phone away. The couple appeared to be napping together, and though he could tell they were fully dressed, he was loath to disrupt their private time. Intimacy like that was a rare treat, to men in their positions. He himself barely grasped the concept—having never connected to another person the way Angeal and Genesis did—but he understood this sort of bonding was therapeutic for couples.

With a sigh, Sephiroth approached them. All good things had to end, sooner or later.

* * *

Genesis stirred when a shadow fell over them, and he squinted against the afternoon sun as he looked up. He wasn't surprised to find Sephiroth standing over them, with his long silver hair whipping in the wind. He grimaced, brought back to reality by his presence.

"Angeal," he muttered, nudging his dozing companion. He discreetly reached beneath the coat and took the bigger man's hand off his crotch. "Nap time is over."

Angeal lifted his head off Genesis' shoulder, frowning with disorientation. When he realized they had company, he relinquished the redhead's jacket to him and got to his feet with a grunt, retrieving his nearby Buster Sword.

"Sephiroth," greeted Angeal, "We...lost track of time."

"Clearly." Sephiroth offered a hand to Genesis, helping him to his feet. There was no judgment in his hooded, emerald gaze. "Have you come to a decision?"

The couple looked at each other askew before Genesis answered. "If we have and it involves defection, will you try to stop us?"

Sephiroth looked out at the ocean, and a mass of clouds moved in and blocked out the sun. "If that's the case, then I unfortunately arrived too late to try and stop you. I'll be sure to relay it to Lt. Fair."

Genesis relaxed a little, sparing a faint, subtle smile. "Then it's a good thing you arrived on time to talk us out of it."

Sephiroth nodded and he cast a similarly reserved smirk at the two of them. "That's fortunate."

"My cooperation is conditional," warned Genesis.

"Of course," Sephiroth answered smoothly. "I would expect no less of you. We can approach the director with your terms when we go back inside. For now, I think you should hear what we discussed at the meeting after you left."

Genesis shrugged and leaned back against a support structure, crossing one booted ankle over the other. "I'm listening."

* * *

"They call them 'Tsviets'," explained Sephiroth, "and they are apparently the Deepground equivalent of the three of us. According to Scarlet, they found a way to bypass the security in the mainframe and disrupt the programming that kept their control chips active. Without the compulsion chips functioning properly, the Restrictors couldn't control them and naturally, the Tsviets led an uprising against them. Heidegger reported that they were killing everyone—including the weakest Deepground operatives amongst them. The explosion was actually a result of President Shinra activating a self-destruct sequence, in an effort to prevent Deepground from reaching the surface. AVALANCHE had nothing to do with it."

"Just like Wallace said," Angeal murmured. "But if they were keeping these Deepground soldiers subdued with implanted control chips, what was that collar you mentioned finding in the ruins?"

"That was a temporary control collar," answered the general. "They used them on new recruits, until they could determine whether the enhancements would take or not. If the subjects survived the process, they would be put on the operating table to have control chips surgically implanted."

"So what you found was essentially a shock collar," suggested Genesis with a distasteful scowl, "as if they were training fighting dogs."

"According to the information we've gotten so far, that's technically what they've been doing," answered Sephiroth. "These Deepground soldier units have been subjected to treatments that go far beyond anything the average SOLDIER operative endures. Evidence suggests it may even be more intense than what was done to _us_—and that only pertains to the common Deepground units. Not even Scarlet could say exactly what the Tsviets have been subjected to. President Shinra wasn't content with his military, SOLDIER and the Turks. He was trying to build a super army."

"And there's the question of how much of her information is the truth," Genesis said. "I'm sure that bleached wench is holding something back for her own gains."

"Probably," agreed Sephiroth, "but President Rufus believes the information she's given him so far is the truth. She's even given him the decryption codes and the locations of some of her own hidden files. She has alleged that the president intended to bring Rufus in on it eventually, and she was trying to convince him to do it sooner. She seems to realize that she's alone in this, and the information she's given so far has proven accurate when investigated."

"What about Hojo?" asked Angeal.

Sephiroth shook his head. You wouldn't know Hojo was his father, for all the concern he showed. "At this time, he's a raving lunatic. He's in one of his self-induced states of euphoric egomania, and he can't be reasoned with. Any attempts result in his babbling about Jenova's plan and the cosmos."

Genesis rolled his eyes. "Religious fanatics would love the man. So, that well is apparently tapped out for now. Maybe he's finally gone completely off the deep end. We should put him out of his misery and be done with it."

"It could be an act," suggested Angeal. "Hojo is nothing short of devious."

"I doubt he's faking his current state of mind," answered Sephiroth, "but either way, like it or not, he's necessary. He may be the only one that can stop whatever he's begun, and there could be further projects he's been involved in that nobody knows about."

"Well, the Deepground threat should be gone, now." Genesis picked at a loose thread on the cuff of his jacket. "They didn't find any life signs when they scanned the area surrounding this hidden 'Sector 0'. Logically, we can presume the bomb destroyed the facility and everyone in it."

"One can hope," agreed Sephiroth. "I suspect at least one of them made it out of the facility alive, though. Someone assassinated President Shinra before Lazard and I arrived, and the evidence suggested the culprit was beyond human. We can't say for certain how many may have escaped."

Angeal considered everything he'd been told and a dreadful realization came to him. "How many of those Deepground operatives do you think were willing participants of the program?"

Genesis gave him an almost pitying look. "Angeal...they were using _shock collars_ on new recruits and they had control chips surgically implanted into the brains of the rest. I sincerely doubt _any_ of them volunteered for it."

"The earlier subjects were originally members of SOLDIER," explained Sephiroth. "Taken to Deepground when it was still a medical facility. That was Lost Unit. Some may have volunteered, but I doubt they knew what they were signing up for. The others may well have been missing persons from cities around the world. Scarlet confessed that they began abducting people for the program, near the end."

Angeal shut his eyes and sighed. He walked over to the base of the cannon and as his companions watched, he suddenly punched the metal structure surrounding one of the valves, hard enough to make a dent. Genesis lunged for him and caught his arm before he could do it again.

"There are active wires in there, Angeal," warned the redhead with a severe frown at him. "Getting yourself electrocuted won't help anyone."

Angeal's whole body was tense and he took a few steadying breathes before speaking. "At least _we_ volunteered," he said, "even if they would have eventually tried to force us into service. We had the illusion of choice."

"Yes, I know," agreed Genesis—never comfortable with being the voice of reason. "And it's reprehensible that they would forcibly take citizens for experimentation. Are you really surprised, though? We've known what ShinRa is capable of, for some time now."

He _shouldn't _be surprised...not by now. Still, with each new low he learned of them sinking to, his tolerance waned further. Defection was starting to look more honorable to Angeal than seeing it through in the slim hope that ShinRa would mend its ways. He was starting to regret talking Genesis out of leaving again.

"Those who were involved in the Deepground project are either in custody or dead, now," reminded Sephiroth, "and Tuesti ran biological scans of the area several times, before we withdrew completely from Midgar. There were no remaining survivors. Deepground is finished. We need to concentrate on repairing the damage and ensuring history won't repeat itself. We need you to put aside your rage, Angeal; if only for a little while longer."

Angeal looked between Sephiroth and Genesis, and for the first time he realized that his wing had emerged in his angst. He retracted it and he did as he was asked; shelving his personal feelings in the interest of healing the damage and building a better future. He reached out to both men and placed a hand on either of their shoulders, nodding.

"It seems our limits are being tested. For the sake of the innocents dragged into this, I'll endure. Thank you for reminding me of what's important."

Zack's winded voice distracted them from anything more they might have said. "Hey guys...found you! Whew...everyone...okay?"

The three men turned to see Zack Fair climbing up the right side of the cannon, for some reason. He didn't seem to notice their puzzled stares as he struggled over the side and lay there panting for a moment, before dragging himself to his feet. He got up with a grunt of effort and looked around, the wind blowing his sweat-dampened, spiked black hair around his face.

"Nice...view," he wheezed. "Why'd you have to...pick such a high...spot, though? I was...worried and that...was a helluva climb."

Genesis leaned closer to Sephiroth. "Do you want to get this one, or shall I?"

Sephiroth made a courteous gesture with a gloved hand. "By all means, be my guest."

Genesis pointed behind him, glancing over his shoulder before looking back at the breathless young Soldier before them. "See that behind me, Fair? That is what's known as a '_catwalk'_. It has these convenient things known as 'stairs', which enable the technicians to climb the cannon with relative ease and maintain it. Why you chose not to use them is a mystery."

Zack looked at the modular stairs behind Genesis and the others, his blue-violet gaze following them down to the fire doors set into the structure on top of the building. His face was already flushed with exertion, but the redness deepened with embarrassment.

"I...didn't see those." He glared at Genesis when the redhead smirked at him. "Shut up. I was worried, okay? I just wanted to get up here fast, because I thought you and Angeal were going to abandon us again."

Genesis' sarcasm softened a bit, though he still clearly found Zack's single-minded determination ridiculous. He looked at Angeal. "Wherever you go, your 'puppy' is sure to follow. Maybe you should give him a ride down, Angeal. He looks ready to collapse."

Angeal struggled to hide a smile as he approached his panting former pupil. No matter how dire the situation, Zack always managed to lighten it up with his antics. He wasn't a stupid young man, but like Genesis, his passion got in the way a lot. Unlike Genesis, Zack was light-hearted to a fault, and he was as guileless as a puppy with his optimism—hence the nickname he'd earned.

Angeal stopped before Zack and he allowed a gentle smile for him. "What do I keep telling you about thinking with your heart, instead of your head?"

Zack lowered his gaze and shrugged. "I do it too much."

The grin broadened. No matter how much he'd matured over the years, some things about Zack never changed. "Only when you let it compromise your safety." He turned around and knelt for him. "Climb on. I'll take you down."

Zack did as instructed with a grateful sigh. "Thanks, man. I feel so stupid."

"It's okay," soothed Angeal as he got to his feet with Zack clinging to his back. He manifested his wing and so did Sephiroth and Genesis. "Those stairs do blend in with the structure, and I know you were worried."

"So are you guys going to stick around?" demanded Zack as Angeal took to the air, "or do I need to start packing? There's no _way_ you're taking off without me again."

"I don't think you have to worry about that," assured Angeal as he followed in Genesis and Sephiroth's wake. They flew over the streets of Junon as they circled around the ShinRa building, and people looked up and pointed, making exclamations of amazement at the sight of them. "Unless the council refuses to cooperate, we aren't going anywhere."

* * *

"Those are the terms," Genesis finished sometime later, in the very conference room he'd retreated from. "If I'm going to continue serving, it won't be as a distasteful secret. If you have to hold a press conference and station troops throughout the city to prevent rioting, so be it. The way I see it, Angeal, Sephiroth and I have given _more_ than enough in exchange for a little bit of dignity."

Lazard exchanged looks with Reeve, Tseng and Rufus before regarding Sephiroth and Angeal. "Do the two of you feel the same, despite the dangers of over-exposure?"

They glanced at one another and Angeal nodded. "We do," answered Sephiroth. "We have discussed it, and I feel it's a reasonable compromise. We need Hewley and Rhapsodos more than we need public approval, right now."

"I see." Lazard turned to his younger half-brother. "I stand by my men in this, then. If they want to serve openly with the rest of the military, they have my support."

Rufus looked at the SOLDIER operatives calculatingly, before turning to Tseng. "As discussed before, public exposure has already occurred. What are your thoughts?"

"I support their right to serve openly," answered the Turk director without hesitation. "I've worked with all of these men in the past, and their full cooperation would be an undeniable asset. Humans are by nature adaptable, Sir. If there is resistance to the presence of the winged operatives at first, we could employ martial law until it settles."

"I'm not wild about the idea of martial law," Reeve said, "but people are going to have to get over themselves somehow, if these men are to continue serving. I think we should do whatever is reasonably necessary to keep order, but don't bring out the troops until we're sure we need them. Tyranny isn't the way to influence folks."

"At least, not right away," agreed Rufus coolly. He looked up at the Soldiers and he nodded. "I concur. Tomorrow, we'll hold a televised press conference addressing the nation, and I will explain the situation to the masses and make it known that these Soldiers are to be considered military authority figures, and any hostilities against them will amount to treason."

"That's a bit over the top," protested Reeve.

"Is it?" Rufus met his eyes with an un-apologetic gaze. "We are barely keeping a lid on the catastrophe my father caused, Tuesti. If we're to maintain control, all departments must have recognition and the respect of the masses. We are their government, not their nannies. If I have to resort to some 'tough love' to glean some cooperation, so be it."

"Ain't nothing tyrannical about a warning," Reno offered. "If people decide to ignore it and end up in the slammer, it's their own fault."

"I agree," said Lazard after some hesitation. "So long as the situation is publicly explained and due warning is given. Let's just hope it's enough to discourage anyone from acting out against these men in their fears."

"We'll begin the Midgar clean-up project after the weekend," said Rufus, "although I want scouting teams sent in to be sure the situation there remains stable. Tuesti, can you confirm that we've retrieved every living survivor from the area?"

Reeve nodded. "There haven't been any changes. No life signs have been detected near ground zero, so I think it's safe to say that we've already rescued whatever survivors failed to evacuate. I shudder to think of the body count we'll find when we finally excavate Sector 0."

"We'll get started on that next week," answered Rufus. "Until then, let's focus on preventing civil unrest."

* * *

Meanwhile to the northeast, a chunk of rubble shifted in the smoky ruins of Midgar, where the main support pillar and the ShinRa tower once stood. An abnormally large hand, gloved in torn gray material, pushed its way through the opening. A low growl came from beneath the rubble and the feral glow of a yellow eye peered through the opening as more debris shifted away.

* * *

-To be continued


	18. Chapter 18

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter eighteen: Subterfuge

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.

* * *

Sixteen days after the evacuation, a team composed of excavators and a cleanup crew went missing while on assignment in Midgar. They were meant to go in and begin clearing the rubble, before seeking out the entrance to President Shinra's hidden Sector 0. Rufus sent a regiment of ShinRa MP's with them as guards just in case, but seeing as all scans of the area produced no human life forms, he didn't believe it was necessary to employ any elite SOLDIER operatives to the scene.

Now, as he went over the reports, he wished he had. Ash-blond brows were drawn together over narrowed gray eyes as the new president of ShinRa Inc read the information on his screen. The annoyingly cheerful tone of his office phone going off only served to irritate him further. He picked it up and kept his eyes on the report.

"Yes?"

"President," Reeve's voice answered. The older man's tone was tense. "Have you received the reports from Midgar?"

"I have," confirmed Rufus, keeping his tone cool despite his inner tension. "I would like to know how this happened. One might get the impression that our people were attacked on the job, but how could that be, if there were no other life forms present?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out, sir," Reeve assured him. "I'm asking for a conference to discuss how best to deal with this. We obviously can't send in another team without a heavily armed escort, if there's a chance the communications cut-off was due to an attack. I'd like to hear what Highwind and Deusericus think, as well as our elite SOLDIER operatives."

"I don't think it's necessary to include _all_ of the SOLDIER officers in this meeting," objected Rufus. "We are the governing bodies of this corporation, Reeve. We can't come to depend too heavily on the opinions of our military operatives. Soldiers are trained to take orders and fight, not debate the finer points of politics, urban development and the economy."

"But they're also trained for strategic warfare," reminded the older man. "I understand your reluctance to include the others, but I think it would be a mistake to leave the general out of this. If we _are_ looking at an attack, odds are Sephiroth is going to be leading the retaliation. He could have some valuable insight on how to handle this situation."

Rufus sighed, unable to refute the hard, practical logic of his point. "Then we include General Sephiroth in the meeting, as well as Tseng. Their subordinates needn't be involved."

"I think that's both reasonable and wise, President Rufus. I'll arrange it all now."

"Good." Rufus looked at his screen again, scowling with displeasure. "The sooner we deal with this, the better."

* * *

"And there's been no communication from the area since," finished Reeve some forty-five minutes later in the conference room. He had a satellite image of Midgar on the big screen behind him. "As you can see, satellite imagery showed some form of micro bursts within the city earlier today, but we can't get a closer image of the city to see any details. We have people working on enhancing it but there's been a lot of interference."

"We need to find out what's happening there," Rufus said when Reeve finished. He looked around the room with a frown. "However, I'm not willing to risk another large party of personnel to find out."

"Then you need a covert reconnaissance," suggested Sephiroth.

"I'm afraid so," agreed Reeve.

Rufus immediately looked to the leader of the Turks. "Tseng, if you have any agents in mind for this task, feel free to speak up."

The Wutaian man appeared somewhat distracted and he looked up from the pen he was tapping on the polished lacquer surface of the table, blinking dark eyes at his superior. "The Turks are at your disposal as always, sir, if you think we would be best suited for the job."

"Now hold up a minute," interjected Cid Highwind—who obviously wasn't happy being a cog in the corporate wheel, "If you need someone to sneak in there quiet-like, maybe a noisy chopper isn't the way you want to go. I'm sure your Turks are quiet as cats on their feet, but those choppers they fly can be heard for miles. If this is ain't a result of interference keeping your people off-line, then you don't want your scouts to be seen _or_ heard when they move in."

He stuck his unlit cigar into the corner of his mouth and crossed his arms over his chest, practically daring them to argue his point. Nobody did. Lazard turned to Sephiroth and before he could even part his lips to speak, the general guessed what was on his mind.

"I'll take the reconnaissance mission."

Rufus didn't seem overly pleased. "Alone?"

"Captain Highwind is correct," answered Sephiroth with a nod Cid's way. "If there are hostile forces in Midgar, we don't need to risk drawing their attention. I won't show up on standard radar and even if there are hostiles with some ability to scan bio signatures, a single blip won't be enough to cause great alarm. I'll go in, scan the area and investigate. Chances are that if the lack of communication is due to some form of interference, I can fly back out of range of the city to contact you and report. Otherwise, I'll gather information and come back."

The corporate heads looked around at one another and began to discuss it. "His idea has merit," announced Tseng. "Better a single operative fly in silently and survey the area, than a noisy aircraft."

"But he shouldn't go alone," argued Reeve with a frown at Sephiroth. "In fact, I'm not comfortable sending our General in for this mission at all. Maybe we should consider sending in Lt. Rhapsodos, instead. He's arguably the fastest of the three of you winged Soldiers, am I right?"

"Granted, his speed and maneuverability in the air hasn't been matched by myself or Hewley," admitted Sephiroth with a dry smirk, "but he's the wrong man for this job. You want subtlety, Commissioner, not flair. If you send Rhapsodos in to scout and he finds hostiles, he's more likely to take them on himself than return for backup."

Lazard nodded. "I agree with General Sephiroth's reasoning. There's no doubt that he's one of our best, but we all know Genesis Rhapsodos is notoriously impulsive. He's the man you want to send in to stir up the hornet's nest...not observe it and get a head count."

"Good point," sighed Reeve. He snapped his fingers, inadvertently producing a small spark when the circuits grafted into the tips rubbed together. "What about Lt. Hewley, then? He's level-headed and dependable."

"That would be a good choice," answered Sephiroth, "except for one thing. Angeal follows orders flawlessly, when they don't compromise his honor or betray Genesis."

The others looked at each other and Rufus spoke up, raising a brow. "I fail to see the problem with that."

"The problem is that if he sees civilians in danger, he's going to intervene," answered Sephiroth in his maddeningly indifferent voice. "If this is a hostage situation rather than communication failure, Angeal may not be able to turn his back on it long enough to report, before he takes action."

Lazard rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, sighing heavily. "So we have a hot-headed anarchist or an excessively noble martyr to choose from, if we don't want to send Sephiroth in."

"Then we send the general," decided Rufus. "There are too many risk factors, otherwise. However, I won't send him in alone. Tseng, arrange transport to the edge of Midgar airspace. Your people will accompany General Sephiroth and wait for him outside the territory while he scouts."

"I could take him in the Highwind," offered Cid. "If something goes down, my ship has the firepower to blow half an army to hell before they even know what hit 'em."

"Save it for when we've confirmed hostiles in the area," ordered Sephiroth. "A single, small aircraft with an armed escort inside will suffice for this mission. We'll touch down between Midgar and Kalm, and I'll go alone from there to review the situation."

"I suppose you'll want your SOLDIER officers accompanying you?" guessed Rufus.

Sephiroth shook his head. "No. If the situation warrants it, I'll request their assistance. I leave it to Director Tseng to decide which of his personnel he sends with me. There won't be any fighting on this mission, unless there's no other choice."

Cid bit down hard on his cigar, his jaw clenching visibly before he responded. "Why the hell you people even want me at this table doesn't make the sense Gaia gave a mule. You froze the space program and you won't let me fly missions! What the hell am I doing here, anyhow?"

"Because one day we may have the resources to put back into the Space Program," answered Rufus calmly, "and you and your wife know more about rockets than anyone alive. As for the rest, your expertise in airship operation makes you a valuable asset to national security. I've explained this all to you before, Captain. For now, I think we'd best trust the general's judgment and keep you and the rest of our forces on standby."

Cid grumbled into silence and puffed on his unlit cigar. Being unable to actually smoke it inside the conference room was yet another insult, to him.

* * *

As Sephiroth prepared to leave, his companions discussed the situation in his quarters. Genesis was predictably put out by the decision to exclude him from the mission.

"So they're sending you in blind, by yourself? Whose brilliant idea was _that_?"

Sephiroth paused in the act of stuffing his bound hair into his uniform jacket, and he glanced at Genesis. "Mine."

Genesis visibly struggled for words for about 1.2 seconds, before finding his tongue. "It figures you would find yet another way to show off."

"I don't know why everyone's so worried," Zack reasoned. "I mean sure, they need to send someone to check in on the cleanup crew but they've already gone over the place with scanners and they didn't find anything. We got all the survivors out already, and none of them looked superhuman to me. It's probably just interference, like Reeve said."

"Your boundless optimism doesn't negate the fact that President Shinra blew up his own city to stop the monster army he bred beneath it from rising to the surface," reminded Genesis cryptically. "I'd say that warrants some concern."

"And I doubt whoever killed him was human," added Sephiroth, his emerald gaze thoughtful. "That means that at least one of the Deepground operatives had already escaped the facility when the president activated the self-destruct. It stands to reason that if _we_ were able to evacuate, then some of the Deepground operatives might have gotten out, as well. Just because scanners didn't pick them up initially doesn't mean they couldn't have returned to Midgar afterwards. Hojo's ranting shouldn't be dismissed, no matter how insane it sounds."

Zack shivered a little and he rubbed his bare arms. "So there's really no telling how many of them got out or where they went before the explosion went off."

Sephiroth nodded. "Someone in the crew would have tried to move outside of the dead zone to contact us by now, if it were a localized interference issue. The fact that they haven't done so yet could mean that radiation in the area caused damage to the equipment itself, or they came under attack. It's unconfirmed whether the micro bursts seen on the satellite imagery were from artillery explosions or the Mako reactors losing stability."

They stopped debating, each of them caught up in personal thoughts as Sephiroth finished getting ready. He slipped a black beanie cap over his head to hide the shine of his silver hair. The rest was tucked into his uniform.

"You look...ridiculous," Genesis commented when Sephiroth shouldered his backpack and retrieved his masamune. "The beanie look doesn't suit you at all."

"I'm not going down a fashion runway," countered Sephiroth, "I'm conducting a mission that requires me to _avoid_ attracting attention to myself; a concept you still fail to grasp."

"My methods haven't failed me yet," shrugged Genesis without apology.

Angeal was more sober about it. "Are you _sure_ you wouldn't rather me go in your stead? If there really is something to worry about, your leadership might be needed here."

Genesis gave a grudging nod of agreement. "You're the only one that seems to be able to cut through all the bullshit that goes on around here, Sephiroth. They actually listen to you."

"That's because they're terrified of him," snorted Zack.

A brief, quite smile flitted over the general's face; so subtle it was nearly a phantasm. "I trust the three of you to hold things together while I'm gone." He looked at Angeal. "Between your patience, Genesis' cunning and Zackary's creativity, you'll find a way to deal with any trouble you run into."

Zack couldn't resist a parting quip. "Or Gen will just kill them all...whichever comes first."

"Don't tempt me," muttered Genesis.

* * *

It was well into night by the time they reached the designated drop-off point. Reno piloted the aircraft that carried Sephiroth, three regular MP's and two SOLDIER 3rd's. Naturally, his partner Rude was his copilot. They landed outside a run-down farm, and Reno powered down the engine while Sephiroth prepared to exit the craft. The general checked his equipment before looking over his shoulder to give parting instructions to the Turks.

"I'll contact you before I reach the red zone, and again once I've surveyed the area. If you don't hear from me within two hours, return to Junon and report in."

Reno and Rude glanced at each other, before the redhead responded. "Without even looking for ya?"

"Correct," answered Sephiroth. "Should I fail to liaison, it means we're up against something more powerful than you can hope to take on yourselves."

Reno snorted. "Hey, I know you're good, but don't you think you're laying it on a little thick? We've got a lot of firepower on this bird, General."

"If I don't return or contact you, it means that whatever overpowered me also overpowered a full crew of personnel, including the MP's sent with them," reminded Sephiroth grimly. "One helicopter won't be enough to handle the situation, regardless of how many weapons you have at your disposal. Don't assume we could be going up against armed enemies. It's possible that a chemical reaction occurred during the crew's mission, and if that is the case, we may be looking at a radiation hotzone strong enough to penetrate hazmat gear."

Evidently, none of them had considered that possibility. Rude raised his eyebrows and looked pointedly at the SOLDIER operative through his shades. "Then shouldn't _you_ be wearing some kind of protective gear?"

Sephiroth smirked without humor. "If it didn't help the crew, it won't help me. Just wait here for my report, and be ready to act, no matter the outcome."

Rude and Reno nodded, and Sephiroth was satisfied that they would follow the protocol he'd laid down for them. He disembarked from the aircraft and he checked his gear once more, before spreading his wing and taking off into the night sky.

* * *

Sephiroth practiced caution as he flew into Midgar airspace. His dark clothing and wing would make it hard for anyone not specifically searching for him to spot him against the night sky, but he kept a sharp eye out, regardless. He spotted several abandoned hover transports just outside the main gate to the city and he flew down to investigate, keeping his masamune ready. He cautiously checked each vehicle, refraining from calling out so as not to alert possible enemies of his presence. There didn't appear to be any signs of struggle and each vehicle was completely intact. By all appearances, the occupants simply abandoned them. The tracks leading to the city gate told Sephiroth that they'd gone inside without any opposition.

Wary of staying out in the open for too long, he made haste to the outer edge of the broken city and he landed on the wall near Mako Reactor 5. He remained there for several moments, focusing all of his senses to detect any danger. He felt no impending symptoms of Mako or radiation poisoning, but then his unique biology could be fettering it. There was no point in waiting for signs of weakness or sickness. If he was exposed, he had limited time to do his job before he began to feel the effects.

The first thing he did was to retrieve the pair of small binoculars from his jacket and peer through them at the sector below. He saw no signs of activity, so he replaced the visual aid and activated the scanner attached to his wrist. He didn't pick up any life signs within the sector, so he prepared to move on and he attempted to contact his companions back on the chopper. Sephiroth wasn't terribly surprised when his transmitter failed to connect. He winced against the high-pitched whine of feedback, followed by static. He tried once more and gave up. He could move out of range of the city and try again, once he completed his circuit around the city.

After scanning the outer sectors and finding nothing of interest, Sephiroth glided closer to the center of the city, where the upper plate had fallen and buried whole neighborhoods beneath it. Here, he could recognize some of the structural remains of the ShinRa tower. The upper part was still somewhat intact, pointing up at a slight angle like an obscene finger gesture. He cocked his head and stared, finding it oddly and ironically appropriate. He could make out office cubicles through the shattered windows, some still sitting properly upright despite the violent collapse of the building.

Shaking his head, the Soldier began to search for evidence that the cleanup personnel had come near there. He stopped when his booted foot trod on something the beeped, and his first thought was that he'd just stepped on a landmine. Reminding himself that he wasn't in Wutai fighting rebels, he clenched his jaw and suppressed his initial reaction. He looked down and slowly moved his foot, keeping pressure on the object as he did so, just in case. When he saw that it was a cellular phone, he breathed easier and squatted down to retrieve it.

Sephiroth lifted the object up and frowned at it. The camera application was beeping, advising that its maximum recording capacity had been reached. Sephiroth removed a glove so that he could interact with the touch screen and he replayed the captured video from the beginning. It showed the entrance to the city during daytime, and the phone's owner was commentating on the activity surrounding her.

"We're heading through what's left of Sector 7 now," said the young woman's voice. "We've got to move in close to the pillar first and make sure there aren't any gas or chem leaks around the main cleanup site. Once we do that, we can send people in to the ShinRa building to look for any evidence that might lead to more answers."

The scene changed to workers moving rubble out of the way, and the tour guide explained that they had to move slowly, to avoid contact with live wires or broken gas valves. When they called out that it was clear to move in, the picture wobbled as the owner of the phone moved in with the rest of the staff. As they got close to the remains of the ShinRa tower, one of the MP's came up to the camera holder, his upper face partially hidden under his helmet.

"Do you have authorization to be documenting this?"

"Er, no sir. I'm on the environmental cleanup crew and—"

"Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to stop recording and relinquish your phone," interrupted the trooper. "Only authorized parties are permitted to document this situation."

"What do you mean, 'authorized'," demanded the woman. "I'm part of this crew!"

"All the same, you can't be recording—"

A sudden explosion and the sound of screams behind him distracted the MP, and he turned around. "What the hell's going on?"

One of the other MP's went flying through the air with a cry, like a doll tossed by an angry, petulant child. Something roared in the background and people started to run away from the ruined HQ building, while the military tried to close ranks and form defensive lines.

"Shut that thing off!" Warned the MP before joining his fellows.

The owner of the phone did not comply, of course. She was jostled as other workers pushed by her in a panic, and she stubbornly kept moving forward.

"Something's happening," she announced in a breathless, tense voice. "I don't know what, but…oh my _god_!"

Another MP went flying over the heads of his fellows—in two pieces. One half of his body hurled past the woman recording the event and Sephiroth saw her lift a shaking hand to protect her face as blood splattered her. A young man in a lab coat ran up to her, his brown eyes wide in a pale face.

"Elly, drop the phone and _run_," he urged, his voice almost as high-pitched as the woman running past, screaming. "We're under attack!"

Behind him, Sephiroth caught a glimpse of a hulking form of a man and the flash of yellow eyes, before the owner of the phone was knocked over completely in the rush. She must have dropped the device in the fall and it apparently lay on its side as she and the other personnel started to run away. The sound of gunfire blended in with the terrified yells of the cleanup teams as they tried to escape. Sephiroth tilted the phone sideways to get a better look at the chaos that was happening. The man—if he could be called such—who was evidently responsible for hurling MP's through the air had grabbed another by the throat and he gave a broad-toothed grin as the hapless, small human kicked feebly in his grasp. He had blue-gray, disheveled hair, pointed ears and roughly chiseled features.

A woman with slicked-back auburn hair came up beside the huge man. She wore an outfit composed of red and black leather, which revealed her stomach and upper thighs to view. She spoke with a heavy accent that Sephiroth couldn't place as she examined the dying captive with cold amusement.

"Don't kill all of them, Azul. Weiss wants live captives for the cause."

The man-beast grumbled and tossed the MP to the ground. More of their allies must have intercepted the ShinRa employees trying to escape and cut off their exit, because some of them began to back up into range of the video again. A woman whimpered with fear and a man called out a demand, asking their attackers what they wanted. Their answer came in the form of clicking weapons, and Sephiroth saw the nearest crew raise their hands in surrender. The woman looked at someone out of view and she nodded.

"Bring them. All of them."

Nobody seemed to notice the phone that lay forgotten in the rubble as the men and women on the cleanup crew were rounded up and herded away, toward what remained of the ShinRa building. Sephiroth strained his eyes trying to get details, but the vantage point of the phone didn't allow him to see where they were being taken. The phone kept recording long after the last captive was out of sight and the sobs and cries died away. Sephiroth scanned to the end of the feed and then he looked up at the ruined tower.

Sector 0. He didn't need to _see_ the prisoners enter it to know that was where they were taken. The attackers all wore matching uniforms, with the same Mako-bright stripes running along the seams. The two that gave orders in the clip must be the Tsviets mentioned in both Scarlet's files and the ones recovered by Reeve—officers of Deepground. The markings and style of their uniforms were slightly different from the others. He guessed that the one named 'Weiss' must be their leader, going by the woman's reference to him.

Sephiroth moved quietly amongst the rubble as he put the phone away. He activated his scanner, not expecting much since the interference in the area made communications impossible. The device worked and he remembered that it didn't rely on satellite or radio frequency to operate. As the screen lit up, he was treated to another surprise; he was finally getting readings. Just as he suspected, the life forms were all around him. He wondered how large the hidden facility must be and how the Deepground operatives managed to survive the explosion. Maybe they moved the source before it went off, or maybe they got out of the city and later returned.

Whatever the answer to that question was, Sephiroth now understood why he hadn't found any readings in the outer sectors. They were all in the center of the city, under ground. He debated the matter inwardly as he walked toward the central structure. He could seek out the entrance and attempt to infiltrate it to see what they were up against, but considering what he saw on that video feed, he'd be in for a mighty challenge if he were discovered. He had no idea how many Tsviets there were.

Reminding himself that this was a scouting mission, not a rescue attempt, Sephiroth decided to at least try and locate the entrance to the hidden sector before returning to his comrades and heading back to Junon. He only got a few steps when he heard the sound of a panel sliding open with a wretched screeching sound. He immediately took to the air and flew up to the top of the ShinRa tower. He found a spot to sprawl over and he tucked his wing in as he peered over the side of the structure.

People began to emerge from a tunnel that had been covered with slabs of large shrapnel—lots of people. They all wore the form-fitting Deepground uniforms and as Sephiroth watched, they filed out of the secret entrance and into the city. He counted fifty of them, before they stopped coming out. They separated into five groups of ten and they seemed to be going out to patrol the city. He watched silently as they left, and when they were gone the big man closed up the tunnel again. Sephiroth counted silently in his head as he activated his scanner. There were _so many_ blips, he found it impossible to get an accurate count. He estimated over a thousand, and he knew that only about a hundred accounted for the cleanup team. That meant there were several hundred Deepground soldiers beneath the ruins.

~And we have no way of knowing how many more there could be out there, somewhere nearby.~

With that cryptic thought in mind, Sephiroth decided it was time to go. If he lingered much longer, Reno would assume something happened to him and return to Junon without him. The brief contact he'd had with him just before flying into the dead zone had occurred almost an hour ago. There was nothing more he could do here for the captives, but he intended to organize a rescue operation the moment he touched back down in Junon.

He got to his feet and spread his wing, preparing to take off. Just as he started to flap, a sound reached his ears that made a chill race up his spine. Sephiroth stop and frowned, listening intently to identify it. It wasn't the wind, and it wasn't the screech of metal. The noise coming from somewhere below the city was screams—or rather, a collective scream issued from hundreds of human throats. It seemed to go on and on and Sephiroth hastily checked the scanner on his wrist as a horrible feeling overcame him. Sure enough, the blots representing human life were disappearing at a steady, alarming rate.

The general compressed his lips and glanced at the blocked tunnel entrance, unable to even imagine what could be happening in there. His left hand reflexively tightened over the hilt of his sword and he damned near threw caution into the wind and went to investigate, but the screaming finally died off into blessed, morbid silence. Sephiroth looked at the scanner again and his frown returned. Not a single blip remained…but that didn't make any sense to him. _His_ bio signature should at least be showing up, even if everyone inside Sector 0 was now dead.

He heard the march of booted feet approaching below and he again had to fight off his impulses. Sephiroth was confident that he could handle one group of standard Deepground operatives on his own. He couldn't risk being proven wrong, however…not when he had such vital information to share. One last look at his scanner revealed that these operatives weren't registering on the device either, and he presumed it was malfunctioning.

He couldn't worry about such a thing right now. Evidently, over a thousand people were dead and he had no explanation for how it happened. The operatives returning to the tunnel didn't appear to be the least bit concerned, and that just brought up more questions. Putting his desire to see those questions answered on the back burner for now, the general left the scene and he contacted Reno as soon as he was out of the dead zone.

* * *

Sephiroth immediately organized a debriefing with the corporate heads when he returned, and he insisted that they allow his fellow officers to participate in it. After a brief stop in the science lab for a radiation scan, he continued on to the head office wing. Once everyone was inside the boardroom and the door was shut and locked, Sephiroth didn't beat around the bush.

"They're all dead."

Rufus looked up from the paperwork on the table before him, as did everyone else present at the meeting. "You're certain, General?"

Sephiroth nodded. "I watched their life signs blink out myself, and I heard their screams."

"What the hell killed them?" Cid asked.

"I don't know," admitted Sephiroth. He retrieved the cell phone he'd found on the scene from a pocket and he placed it on the table before sliding it over to Rufus. "But I'm assuming their captors slaughtered them. This belonged to one of the workers. It contains video footage of the attack."

"Wait…who attacked them?" Zack demanded.

"Deepground, of course," answered Genesis for Sephiroth, his aqua gaze shrewd on the silver-haired fighter. "We've already agreed there was a chance some of them may have survived the explosion."

"And we were right about that," confirmed Sephiroth. By the time the screams stopped, there wasn't a single life reading left."

Reeve's brows hedged over puzzled, dark eyes. "Not a single reading? What about the operatives themselves, then? Unless they committed mass suicide after killing their victims, their readings should have remained."

"The scanner seemed to stop functioning properly after those people were killed," explained Sephiroth. "I'm assuming that whatever killed them must have scrambled the scanner—which is why I had to stop by the lab on the way in to be scanned for radiation."

"A wise decision," approved Lazard, unsmiling. "So your report is that the remaining Deepground forces in Midgar are now dead?"

"No," answered Sephiroth. "I'm saying they killed all of the hostages they took, but the troops they sent out into the city were perfectly fine, and none of them seemed particularly alarmed when they returned—though they must have heard the screams. I believe the Deepground troops must have died with them, however, because there were well over a thousand life signs on the scanner before the cries began."

"Maybe Reeve's comment about the Deepground operatives killing themselves isn't far from the mark," suggested Angeal thoughtfully.

"I was being sarcastic," answered Reeve. He winced at the sounds of the screams coming from the phone Rufus held in his hands.

Rufus finished watching the recorded video and he passed the phone over to Reeve. "I don't know about that. The two operatives visible in this feed were obviously rounding up captives for a purpose. The woman mentions a 'cause'."

"What 'cause' might that be?" Lazard asked, watching his half-brother's face with interest. "Is there something you know that you haven't shared?"

Rufus hesitated and Reeve paused the recording to stare at him with the others. "President Shinra, I think it's time we told them."

Sephiroth frowned at Reeve, then at the president. "Tell us _what_, exactly?"

Rufus gave Reeve an annoyed look, and then he got out of his chair and clasped his hands behind his back. The Turks exchanged curious looks—except for Tseng, who watched Rufus with the gaze of one who knew what was on his mind. The Turk director added his low encouragement to Reeve's.

"Sir, I think Tuesti is right. It would be in everyone's best interest if they knew."

Cid scowled. "What the hell are they talking about? I thought I made it pretty damned clear when I agreed to sign on that I expect you people to be straight with me…or at least, as much as you're capable."

"I'd like to know what they're talking about too," Angeal said sternly, his eyes darkening with mistrust. "I hoped this company would learn from these recent events, instead of covering up more secrets."

"Nothing has been said because we had no details to give," explained Rufus.

"Nothing's been said about _what_, sir?" Zack demanded, his scowl almost matching Angeal's. Even Zack had his limits and it appeared they were being tested now. "What kind of details were you after?"

Rufus sighed and gave a nod to Tseng, who took his cue and stood up to explain. "Over the past week, several people in Junon have gone missing. We at first assumed they simply left the city in a hurry, perhaps seeking somewhere quiet to live out of the fear that our administration might bring about another disaster. Reeve and I have been investigating the matter quietly, in the hopes that we could correct the situation or at least discover the cause before it became an issue."

"How many people?" Lazard asked.

Reeve grimaced and lowered his gaze. "Nearly twelve hundred people confirmed."

Zack's eyes bugged out. "_Twelve hundred?_ How the hell do that many people come up missing without it making the news?"

Rufus looked out the window. "I made arrangements to keep the press quiet about it."

Angeal shook his head in disgust, his jaw tense.

Beside him, Genesis made an observation that was both elegantly worded and brutal at once. "You seem to be skipping merrily down the path your father once trod, President. Is it vanity or stupidity that drives you to make the same mistakes he did?"

"I'm not making his mistakes," insisted Rufus with a scowl.

"Nah, you're just making brand new ones of your own," countered Zack.

Angeal looked at Reeve with an unhappy frown. "What's your excuse for not taking action when you realized over a thousand civilians had gone missing in such a short time? Didn't something similar happen before the old president died?"

"Yes," agreed Reeve, "and Tseng admitted to me that a lot of _those_ missing people were gathered by the Turks, at President Shinra's orders."

"For what purpose?" asked Sephiroth.

"We didn't know," confessed Tseng. "We were ordered to bring in certain kinds of people for 'rehabilitation'. Most of the targets had criminal records of some sort. We weren't told what sort of program they were to be a part of and Turks never ask questions."

Reno eyed Tseng suspiciously. "Do you know what all that was about now?"

Tseng nodded, his sculpted face solemn. "I believe we were bringing in fresh, unwilling Deepground recruits. We were just never told."

"So they used you guys as 'people mules' for their sick project," Cid announced bluntly.

"So it would seem," agreed Tseng. "But this is different. We had nothing to do with the recent rash of disappearances, and everyone responsible for the Deepground project is in custody or dead. Something else is behind it."

"There have been reports coming in since the disappearances started," Rufus explained. "Reports of 'devouring darkness'. Ordinarily I would put such accounts off as the ramblings of drunk people, but there have been too many of them and I've seen too much to brush it off as impossible."

"So people are saying some kind of darkness snatched these folks away?" Cid looked dubious.

"Can you really say it isn't possible?" Reeve challenged. He looked around the room, his eyes lingering pointedly on the three winged Soldiers. "We know mutations are possible, and we know that the experiments Hojo and the others conducted resulted in some extraordinary abilities, in some of the recipients."

"Good point, yo," Reno agreed. He gestured at the Soldiers. "After seeing some of the shit these guys can do in a fight, I'm willing to believe almost anything."

"But where is this 'darkness' taking the people it abducts?" questioned Lazard with a troubled look at his half-brother.

"We don't know," answered Rufus, "and that's part of the reason we've been trying to keep it quiet. If the public finds out about this, there will be anarchy. We've just established order again, and we can't jeopardize that now…not until we at least have something to tell the press about these disappearances."

Zack raised his hand, evidently settled enough to remember his place again.

"Yes, Zack?" Reeve looked at him with some amusement.

"How do we know all those life signs Sephiroth detected in Midgar weren't those missing people?" He asked. "You said there was over a thousand, and Sephiroth said he guessed there was around the same number of blips on the scanner, before they all went 'poof'."

Sephiroth's brows lowered with the possibility. "I wonder. The scanner detected life forms beneath the ShinRa tower, until the screams ended. After that, it stopped detecting anything at all; including myself and the Deepground troops that passed by below me."

Reeve scratched his short-trimmed beard. "Do you have the scanner on you, General?"

Sephiroth nodded and removed the device from his wrist before handing it over. "As I said, I presumed that whatever killed those people must have shorted it out."

Reeve activated the scanner and stood up with a frown. "Hmm…it seems to be working now. Oh, wait. This is odd." He made some adjustments and he looked around the room at everyone in turn. He started gesturing at each of them, as if doing a head count.

"What are you doing?" Demanded Rufus when the engineer approached him and swept the scanner over him.

Reeve didn't answer. Instead, he walked over to Genesis and Angeal, and he did the same thing to both of them.

"Well, now I know how grocery store cashiers feel when the merchandise doesn't scan."

Genesis' eyes flashed dangerously. "Excuse me, but did you just refer to us as 'merchandise'?"

"More importantly," Angeal said tactfully, before his lover could go off on a tangent, "are you saying we aren't showing up on the scanner?"

"That's right," confirmed Reeve, scratching his head with his free hand. "I've never _noticed_ that before. The scanner is picking up everyone in this room except for you three."

Sephiroth understood the implications. "What about Zackary?"

Reeve checked and he shrugged. "He's showing up, too. It's only blind to you, Genesis and Angeal. My guess is your bio signatures are pitched differently than humans, now."

"But Zack has been augmented too," reminded Angeal.

"Not as severely as you three have," explained Reeve. He lowered the scanner and regarded them with dawning comprehension. "And it seems reasonable to me that if the scanner can't detect the three of you, then members of Deepground are invisible to it as well."

"_All_ of them?" asked Lazard, "Or just the Tsviets?"

"My guess is all of them," answered Reeve, studying the scanner with renewed interest.  
"Even the Deepground 'regulars' were put through more rigorous Mako enhancements than our SOLDIER operatives. Our winged officers are the only exception, since Hojo's attempts to screw with Zack's DNA didn't take the way he wanted it to."

"Huh…so I'm a freak because he couldn't make me a freak," reasoned Zack. When his companions glared at him, he winced. "Sorry. I just meant I'm a bigger freak than you guys because—"

"Quit while you're ahead, Zack," advised Angeal. "We know what you meant."

"Let's not worry about that right now," insisted Rufus. "By the sounds of it, Reeve has just pinpointed the reason why we never detected any survivors, when we had people scan after the explosion. Those Deepground soldiers were right under our feet and we never knew it. Reeve, do you think you can adjust our scanners to detect humans that are heavily Mako enhanced?"

"How come nobody noticed this before?" Cid asked.

"Because we've never needed to scan for people with enhanced bio signatures before," answered Reeve. "Up until now, these men were the only ones invisible to the scanners, so we had no idea. To answer your question President; yes, I can recalibrate the scanners, with the cooperation of these men. I can't guarantee it will work with Deepground operatives, though. Their bio signatures could be even more complex."

Genesis raised a brow. "What if you had a captive to test it with?"

"That would prove helpful, but someone needs to bring me a live Deepground captive first, and those Tsviets don't strike me as pushovers."

"Maybe you don't need a captive," suggested Zack. "Hojo helped make these guys, right? Couldn't you make him show you how to redo the whatchamajiggers?"

The room went silent for a moment. Finally, Reeve looked at Sephiroth and shrugged. "Well, it's worth a shot. What do you think, General? Should we try? He might cooperate with you, if he's lucid enough to give a coherent response."

"I wouldn't count on it," replied Sephiroth, "but if we're going to retake Midgar, we could use any tactical advantages we can get."

"Then it's settled," said Reeve. "Let's not waste any time."

* * *

Rufus stopped Tseng from leaving right away, after the others had gone. The Wutaian complied with his request and he addressed him respectfully once the others had gone. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"I know it's late, so I won't keep you," Rufus said as he walked around the table to stand before Tseng. "I've just noticed your detachment lately, and I think I know the reason. How are things in Wutai?"

Tseng lowered his gaze. "Godo's condition is getting worse. He wants to push the wedding date forward, before he gets too ill to attend."

"I see. I didn't expect the cancer to spread that fast." Rufus watched him with sharp, blue-gray eyes. "And his daughter? Is she still reluctant?"

"Of course," answered Tseng tiredly, "but she will honor his request, regardless."

"You sound certain of that."

"I am." Tseng nodded. "She's immature, impulsive and quite selfish at times, but Yuffie Kisaragi loves her father and her people. I see it in her eyes."

"And you?" pressed the president. "Are you still resolved to do this?"

"We agreed it was best to ensure peace between ShinRa and Wutai," answered Tseng without hesitation. "And we may need their cooperation sooner than we'd like, if things continue to worsen with this Deepground situation, sir."

"I agree." Rufus laid a hand on Tseng's shoulder. "I can always count on you to use sound judgment, Tseng. That's why I wanted to seek your opinion on another matter."

"What matter is that, sir?"

"The matter of my chosen military advisor," answered Rufus. "And I know my decision isn't going to go well with most of our departments. I need the Turks on my side."

Tseng lifted an intrigued brow.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sephiroth and Reeve were trying to reason with Hojo. Unfortunately, the man was still mired in his own ego, cackling like a madman and congratulating himself for his brilliance. Reeve sighed and rubbed his eyes, prepared to give up…but Sephiroth calmly waited for Hojo's latest babbling to die down and his cold gaze didn't waver as he asked him again.

"Do you know how to calibrate our scanners to detect Deepground bio signatures, or not? This is the last time I'm going to ask, Hojo."

The frazzled professor nodded, making loose strands of oily black hair that had come free of his ponytail straggle over his eyes. "Yes, of course! I helped to _create_ them, after all. It won't help you, however. Once they find what they need, it can't be stopped!"

"What the hell is he talking about _now_?" Reeve sighed.

"Jenova," said Hojo, his voice lowering and his black gaze snapping intensely to Sephiroth. He reached out and boldly grasped the general's leather coat, staring up at his fine-boned face with a worshipful expression. "I _see_ her in you, boy, even if you try to ignore her! She is a part of you and I'll see her will be done! What I've set into motion will change _everything_!"

Sephiroth shoved him away, none too gently. "I've heard this all before. The bio signatures, Professor. That's all you need concern yourself with."

Hojo picked himself up off the prison floor with a grunt. "Ah, bio signatures. Yes…they are very important. Your mother knew that, Sephiroth. She even wrote a thesis on the key. Brilliant woman…such a shame she had to go."

The color drained from Sephiroth's face as he realized that Hojo was speaking of his birth mother now. His eyes went flat and dead and he started to reach for the scientist, but Reeve hastily intervened.

"What 'key' are you talking about, Hojo?" The engineer put a placating hand on Sephiroth's arm, silently reminding him that they still needed his deranged father, if they were going to learn all the secrets of Deepground.

"The catalyst to everything," obliged Hojo with glee. His eyes were wild behind the smudged glasses, and he stared up at Sephiroth as he spoke—though he didn't seem to actually _see_ him. "The reaper…the harvester! Set _him_ loose, and unleash Omega! This world will be yours, Jenova! Lucrecia hid it inside of that Turk, but they'll find it! They'll take it, and they'll wake the planet's guardian. Jenova, do you hear me? I am doing your will!"

He tried to clutch at Sephiroth again, but the general shoved him away in disgust. Beside him, Reeve had a pallor to match Sephiroth's and the taller man frowned at him when he noticed. Reeve started for the door and he clicked on the call button to bring the guards.

"Where are you going?" demanded Sephiroth.

"I have to make a call," Reeve answered. "Keep pressing him for information, Sephiroth."

The Soldier sighed and glared at the prisoner. "For what it's worth, I will."

The door was opened from the outside and Reeve started to step out. He paused and poked his head in again before completely exiting. "And don't kill him."

Sephiroth gave him a bare, sardonic smirk.

* * *

-To be continued


	19. Chapter 19

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter nineteen: The first wave

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

***Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.**

* * *

The first thing to cross Vincent Valentine's mind when the hesitant knocks disturbed his rest was that he never should have allowed Reeve to talk him into the butler. Tuesti insisted on it—not so much to pamper Vincent, but to ensure that he could reach him if he needed him. The "butler" was a ShinRa employee, of course, and he lived in the mansion and kept it up, in exchange for the wages Reeve paid him out of his own pocket. He was really more of a grounds keeper and tenant than an actual butler, since Vincent was never awake to be waited on.

"Uh…Mr. Valentine?" called the nervous young man, "I'm sorry to disturb you, but Commissioner Tuesti is on the phone and he says it's urgent."

"Let me rest," replied the gunman stubbornly.

"H-he said you might say that, and he wanted me to tell you it involves Dr. Crescent? Does that name sound familiar to—"

Vincent shoved the coffin lid open and sat up abruptly, provoking a gasping, startled cry from the young man. He stood up and regarded him with narrowed, ruby eyes and it occurred to him by the way the brunet man clutched his chest that he might have just given him a heart attack.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Vincent tried to assure him, feeling the tiniest hint of remorse. "May I have the phone?"

The "butler" was backed against the corner of the room and his green eyes were huge in a face gone pale with fright. He offered his cellphone to Vincent with a shaky hand, still holding his other hand over his heart. "Here, S-sir."

Vincent reached for it slowly, trying not to startle him further. Evidently, his golden gauntlet failed to inspire comfort and the young man shrank away further—practically trying to meld with the stone wall. Vincent sighed and put the phone to his ear.

"What is it, Reeve?"

"Ah, you sound cheerful as ever," answered the engineer. "Is the groundskeeper still alive, or did you shoot him for waking you up?"

Vincent glanced at the petrified young man and he made a motion toward the door, inviting him to go. The butler took it without argument, all to happy to leave his presence. "He's fine. I was told this has something to do with Lucrecia. What is it?"

"I suppose I shouldn't beat around the bush. You may be in danger, Vincent, and it may have something to do with the experiments that Lucrecia did on you to preserve your life."

Vincent frowned. "Go on."

"I need you to meet up with me. You can't stay there, anymore. I've made arrangements through Captain Highwind. He has a pilot in Rocket Town prepared to come and pick you up on a Bronco plane and bring you to Junon."

Vincent shook his head. "I can't do that."

Reeve sighed. "Can't, or won't?"

"Won't," admitted the gunman. "You know I don't want anything further to do with the organization. Just tell me what you need to tell me and I'll take whatever measures I deem necessary."

"It isn't that simple," argued Reeve, "and it isn't just about you. If it was, I might be inclined to let you be as stubborn as you want and risk your ass, but that isn't an option, now. You have _got_ to come to Junon, for your own protection as well as the safety of others."

"Your dramatics tell me you're either serous, or desperate," Vincent murmured. A spider dropped down from the ceiling and he swatted it away absently as it swung before his eyes. "I'm willing to compromise. I won't set foot in Junon or Midgar until I have all of the details, but I'm willing to meet up with you somewhere else and talk about it."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about Midgar," assured Reeve. "It's gone."

_That_ sufficiently snagged Vincent's reluctant attention. "What do you mean?"

"Right, you've been asleep for all this time." Reeve's voice was deceptively casual. "Well, President Shinra decided to blow up the city, just before an assassin took him out. Rufus is the president now and main head quarters are now in Junon, while we rebuild Midgar. We can't really _do_ that until we eliminate the current threat, however."

Vincent was understandably confused, considering that the last time he was awake, ShinRa was at peace with Wutai and everything was more or less under control. "You have my attention. Where do you want to meet?"

Reeve took a moment to think about it before answering. "How about Kalm? It's quiet and peaceful. We can rent a room at the Inn and I'll fill you in on everything that's happened."

"That sounds reasonable enough," agreed Vincent.

"Good, then I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."

* * *

Reeve was almost thankful for the time it would take to fly Vincent from Nibelheim to Kalm. It gave him the opportunity for some much-needed rest and it was going on midnight, by the time his head hit the pillow in his private sleeping quarters. Unfortunately, things hadn't quite settled down yet. He had thought SOLDIER would take care of making arrangements to take back Midgar, but no sooner did he shut his eyes than he was called upon by Rufus to join them in the boardroom—again.

Grumbling under his breath and spouting off choice swear words aplenty, Reeve pulled on his pants and shirt. He didn't bother with his blazer and he didn't button the shirt all the way up. He combed his fingers through his hair in a half-assed effort to groom it and he crammed his feet into his loafers.

"At least I got to take a shower," he growled as he went out the door.

* * *

The same people were present at this late meeting as before. Rufus began as soon as everyone was present, and he ignored the tired looks he was getting. "I know everyone is tired and we have a lot of work ahead of us, so I'll make this brief."

Rufus didn't look the least bit apologetic to Genesis, and he scowled at the president and entertained fantasies of tearing his pretty blond head off his shoulders and using it as a bowling ball.

"You run the risk of a mutiny, if you delay much longer," warned the Soldier.

Adjacent from him at the table, Reeve nodded in agreement and covered a yawn with his fist. "With all due respect, President, everyone will do their jobs much better if we're well-rested. What couldn't wait until morning?"

"I've decided to appoint myself a new advisor," answered Rufus. He stopped before the table and looked around at each of then. "And none of you are going to like who it is."

Lazard rubbed tired eyes and forgot his sense of diplomacy. "Just tell us who it is, would you? There's no need for the dramatic pause."

The president smirked. "If you say so." He leaned over the chair at the head of the table and he pressed the comm. Device on the desk before it. "Send her in, Ms. Nash."

"Right away, Sir," answered Rufus' secretary—evidently stuck working late like the rest of them.

The door opened and a familiar woman with a stripper's curves, a shade of blonde that most likely came from a bottle and a conniving, ruby-lipped smile strode into the room. She wore her signature red colors, but this time it was a satin pantsuit rather than a dress. The top opened in a V that exposed the swell of her cleavage and her hips swayed with feminine allure as she walked.

"No," Reeve denied immediately as the woman walked around the table full of staring men and stood beside Rufus. "Not her. _Anyone_ but her. President, this is insanity! She conspired with your father and Hojo to create the enemies we're going up against! How can you even _consider_ collaborating with her?"

"Because I consider what's best for this company, and for the population," Rufus said evenly. "Aside from Hojo, this woman knows more about Deepground than anyone else at our disposal. _Unlike_ the professor, she's willing to cooperate with us to see the threat neutralized."

The room lapsed into uncomfortable silence for several minutes, until Lazard broke it with a sigh and a questioning look at Sephiroth and the other SOLDIER officers. "What are your thoughts, gentlemen?"

Sephiroth considered Scarlet with narrowed eyes as he answered. "I have to agree with the president. Regardless of our personal feelings about her involvement in the project, Scarlet's knowledge of it will be an asset in handling Deepground."

Beside him, Angeal nodded and clasped his hands together on top of the table. His dark blue eyes were thoughtful as he gave his opinion. "If the disappearances in Junon were the work of Deepground, then that means they've killed over a thousand people already, for some 'cause' we don't understand, yet. We're going to need every advantage we can get."

"I'm disinclined to believe half of what this woman says," Genesis said with a nod at Scarlet, "but we can presume the rest of it is truth. We can at least trust Scarlet to want to save her own skin."

Zack shrugged. "I personally don't know the lady that well, so whatever you guys think is best."

"Trust me Zack, this dame is no 'lady'," Reeve said with a scowl at Scarlet—who scowled right back. "Still, everyone makes a good point. Mr. President, if you really feel you can trust her, then I guess we'll have to support you."

"We trust your judgment, President," Tseng said with an elegant nod. Beside him, Reno and Rude nodded in agreement. "Do what you see fit."

Rufus looked to Cid. "And you? Will I be hearing any objections on your end, Captain?"

Cid glanced at Scarlet and then at Zack, shrugging. "I'm with the kid, there. I don't know enough about her to care either way. If you think she's going to help, it's all on you."

"Then it's settled," said Rufus in satisfaction. "Scarlet has given me access to her Deepground files, and she's familiar with most of the Tsviets. She'll be briefing our people on what to expect of them before we move in to retake Midgar. Meeting adjourned."

Nobody said it, but everyone was thinking that Rufus sounded awfully confident that they _could_ retake Midgar, and they had their doubts that it would be as simple as sending in the army and calling it a day.

* * *

The first thing Vincent noticed about Reeve when he walked into the Inn was the well-groomed beard and mustache. He shook hands with the engineer and scanned him curiously, noting the fine lines he had procured since they last met. He'd aged well; appearing as a handsome, distinguished gentleman now. His hair was as thick as ever and free of gray hair, so far. Vincent mentally counted and he guessed his friend was in his mid-thirties, now.

"You look good," he complimented. "How long have you had the facial hair?"

Reeve scratched said facial hair self-consciously and chuckled. "A couple of years, now. You look exactly the same."

"I'll never age," reminded Vincent. He frowned. His virtually immortal status was one of the reasons he avoided getting close to anyone. Companionship of any kind was a luxury he couldn't truly afford. Reeve Tuesti managed to defy his efforts though, and Vincent had dreamed of him often during his slumber.

Reeve lifted the bottle of wine he held in his other hand. "Well, let's get a couple of glasses from the innkeeper and take this to our room, shall we? You and I have a lot to discuss, old friend."

Outside, a festival began to take place and the sounds of laughter and music reached their ears. Vincent glanced out the window as a troupe of dancers passed by the Inn, and he nodded. "Yes, let's do that. I want to know what this all has to do with me."

* * *

While Reeve and Vincent were discussing the Deepground situation over a bottle of red, Angeal and Genesis were talking about Hojo and whether anything he said could be trusted.

"The man is insane," Angeal sighed as he unbuckled his shoulder guards to take them off. "His obsession with Jenova is out of control. He's like a religious fanatic."

"Religious fanatics are generally stupid and gullible fools who don't like to think for themselves and need a 'higher power' to do all the thinking for them," Genesis responded, tossing his insulated jacket over the little couch against the wall. "Hojo is more dangerous than that. He has genius level intelligence to go with the madness of his strange worship. I honestly don't understand how a man that smart came to worship an alien life form as a goddess."

Angeal paused and gave him a dry look. "What about the way you worship Minerva?"

"That's different," insisted the redhead with a sidelong look at him. "I don't allow my devotion to turn me into a drooling idiot."

He approached Angeal and he helped him remove his right shoulder guard. His aqua gaze was lowered and thoughtful as he deftly manipulated the buckles. "There isn't anything wrong with _believing_ in something, Angeal. Sometimes it can help you get through the day. It's when you abandon all logic and reason to your belief of that higher power that it becomes a dangerous liability. Hojo's only desire now is to see Jenova's will be done…whatever _that_ means. I may not be worthy to serve Minerva, but at least I have the sense and decency not to try and destroy the world to impress her."

"I can't argue with that," murmured Angeal, his voice gaining a husky note as Genesis' gloved hands stroked over his broad chest after removing the armor piece. Even that brief touch was enough to arouse him, and he tried not to be obvious about it. "Sometimes you make me feel so simple minded."

Genesis smirked slightly and raised his eyes to look at him. "Your mind isn't simple in the least, Hewley. I wouldn't be with you, if it were."

He tugged his gloves off and dropped them on the couch with his jacket, before sliding his fingers through Angeal's rich brown hair and leaning forward to whisper into his ear. "The way your mind works is more complex than you think. You see the world in a way I never could, and I marvel at your ability to put yourself second to everyone else."

Angeal put his arms around the smaller man's waist and shut his eyes, shivering a little in response to the feel of his breath against his ear. "I'm not always selfless, Gen; especially right now." Indeed, his thoughts were going to entirely selfish places as his partner's sensual allure stroked his libido. He resisted a groan as the redhead's lips closed over his earlobe and teasingly sucked on it.

Genesis smiled against his ear and his hands glided over Angeal's taught stomach, before burrowing under his sweater. The touch on his bare skin tickled and pleasured at once, making Angeal a bit breathless. "And what manner of 'selfish thoughts' are making their way through your mind, hmm?"

Angeal's hands dropped to settle over Genesis' ass. He squeezed it reflexively through the red leather pants and he swallowed. "The kind that involve throwing you down on the bed and having my way with you."

Genesis chuckled low in his throat and Angeal tensed as one of his hands slipped down to cup his swelling crotch. "That's an old fashioned way of saying you want to fuck my brains out, but I'll take it."

Angeal turned his head to capture Genesis' mouth, kissing him deeply and silencing any further witty comments. The redhead obligingly parted his lips when Angeal probed them with his tongue, and he sucked on it as it invaded and explored his mouth. Genesis began to massage the bulge in his pants with skill, and the feel of it drove Angeal to further distraction. Hardly aware of what he was doing now, Angeal reached down and grabbed both of his companion's wrists, before pushing him up against the wall. He plundered Genesis' hot, willing mouth aggressively as he pressed his body full-length against his and held his wrists over his head. Genesis put up some convincing resistance at first, straining against Angeal's restrictive hold and growling in his throat.

Angeal clamped down harder and growled back. The action evidently met Gen's approval, because an uncommon whimper of need arose in his throat, muffled by the big man's demanding kisses. A little rough play always did it for him, and he loved to be "mastered" by Angeal before sex. It was almost like he got off on making the bigger Soldier work for it, insisting he 'tame' him before earning the privilege of fucking him.

Genesis was definitely the most complex partner Angeal had ever been with, but there hadn't been many before him to begin with. He enjoyed every minute of these volatile encounters, a thing that Angeal never would have imagined himself getting into before Genesis became his lover. Gaia, he loved his lips, and the way his tongue seductively glided against his, teasing and inviting at the same time. The feel of Gen's bulging arousal pressing hard against his was enough to provoke another growl from Angeal.

He made good on his promise, releasing Genesis' wrists only to turn him around and push him down onto the bed. Aqua eyes flashed up at him, the Mako glow intensified by Genesis' arousal. Angeal joined him on the bed and pushed him down before he could roll off, using his weight to pin him as he grabbed his wrists again. Genesis nipped at his chin and jaw with sharp, white teeth and he chuckled softly, breathlessly.

"Have I provoked the caveman again?" His fingers threaded through Angeal's as the big man adjusted his hold.

Sensing his surrender, Angeal gentled his hold on him and kissed his arching throat. "You have. It's a gift of yours."

Genesis parted his leather-clad thighs and embraced Angeal around the waist with his legs. "I'm ready for whatever punishment you see fit to give me, then."

Angeal chuckled in spite of himself.

* * *

"So, what are we doing in here again?" Zack asked as he walked the corridors of the prison floor with Sephiroth. Much like Midgar, the Junon headquarters had its own holding area, where prisoners of special interest were kept under tight guard. Hojo was being held in there, along with Barret Wallace and two of his AVALANCHE members. Hollander had since been released under probation, kept under watch but allowed to head the science department.

"We're releasing a prisoner," answered the general. "More than one, in fact. Lazard's orders."

Zack nodded in understanding. "Gotcha." A horrible thought occurred to him and he stopped in his tracks, staring at Sephiroth through a sooty lock of hair hanging loose from the spiked style. "Not _Hojo_, I hope."

Sephiroth stopped, turned, and gave Zack his most exasperated look. "Give the director a little credit for intelligence, Lt. Fair."

Zack shrugged, looking sheepish. "Well, everyone keeps saying how dangerous that Scarlet chick is, but she's President Rufus' advisor, now. Hollander tried to sabotage the company and he's head of the science department now, and we both know what happened with Lazard, but he's still the director of SOLDIER. Gen went batshit for a while, but he's third in command of SOLDIER. I'm just saying, man."

Sephiroth's mouth twitched. "You make a valid argument. Don't worry, though. Hojo is staying right where he is. The prisoners we'll be releasing tonight are far less dangerous than he is."

Zack fell into step with him again. "Okay, so who are we letting go?"

Sephiroth turned right when they reached a T intersection, and he stopped before one of the cell doors, checking the numbers on it. "Barret Wallace and his companions." He turned to Zack and held his eyes with his strange, emerald gaze. "Zackary, this can't go further than us. The guards will ask where we're taking these prisoners, and we're going to tell them we are taking them to be questioned. We'll escort them out of the building and send them on their way in a cab. Rufus hasn't sanctioned this, so keep it to yourself."

"O…kay. Um, why are we going over Rufus' head and letting terrorists go?"

Sephiroth smirked humorlessly. "Because this organization has bigger things to worry about than a ragtag group of environmentalists, and Lazard feels that AVALANCHE could prove useful some day, if we can come to an agreement with them."

"How useful can a 'ragtag group of environmentalists' be, though?" reasoned Zack, scratching his chin. "I just don't get it. You guys talk about them like they're just pests, but you think we might need their help some day?"

Sephiroth sighed. "You ask too many questions. Yes, compared to the threat of Deepground, AVALANCHE is only a minor nuisance. Once upon a time, however, they made a significant dent and caused a lot of trouble for ShinRa. They have potential and right now, we need more allies than enemies."

Zack nodded in understanding. "That makes a weird kind of sense. You can count on me, Seph."

"I would appreciate it if you would refer to me by rank, when we're on duty."

Zack winced. "Right. Sorry, General."

Satisfied with the response, Sephiroth started to use his keycard on the security panel to open the door. The sound of Hojo's voice reached their ears just as he started to swipe it, and Sephiroth paused to listen. The professor's cell was at the end of the corridor and his voice was muffled behind the layers of titanium.

"Sephiroth, is that you out there? Can you hear me? I'll talk to you…I'll tell you what you want to know, if you'll just let me speak with her! Allow Jenova to come out, boy! It's of the utmost importance that I speak with her."

Sephiroth glanced at Zack, who had his head cocked inquisitively as he listened to Hojo's cajoling voice. The brunet frowned at his companion and made a meaningful gesture at his head. "What a psycho."

"A psycho that has answers," corrected the general grimly. "So far, we've failed to procure any information from him that he isn't willing to give us."

"Uh…you know I normally wouldn't even think about suggesting it," Zack muttered uncomfortably, "but what about torture?"

"It's been tried," admitted Sephiroth, "by Tseng himself. He's an expert at anatomy and prisoners usually break eventually, under his ministrations. Hojo fears nothing but failure, Zack. He can't be treated like other prisoners."

"So what, are you thinking of letting him talk to that crazy woman in your head? The one that almost got you to go on a killing spree in Nibelheim?"

Sephiroth stared at him. One thing hadn't changed about Zack as he matured, and that was his tendency to be direct and honest to a fault. He hadn't gained a sense of subtlety yet, and he probably never would. "If allowing him to speak with her will bring forth some results, I may consider it."

"Yes!" Hojo cried, evidently hearing Sephiroth's response through the door. "I'll give you access to all of my hidden files, if you'll just let me speak with her! You _must_, Sephiroth!"

Zack shook his head, his handsome face troubled and serious as he watched his companion. "Sephiroth, you can't trust a word that guy says. We all know it. If you let her out, you might not be able to put her back in. I don't want to have to fight you, man."

Usually not one to display affection for others, Sephiroth found himself placing a gloved hand over Zack's shoulder in an awkward gesture of comfort. "_If_ I decide to grant his demands in exchange for this information, you're just going to have to have faith in me. I've been in control of myself for five years now, Zackary. I know how to handle Jenova."

Zack sighed. "At least you're not calling her 'mother' anymore. That shit was creepy."

Sephiroth huffed softly with amusement. "Let's do what we came to do, and worry about Hojo's proposal later."

* * *

"So, the protomateria can control this 'harbinger', as I understand it," finished Reeve after telling Vincent everything he knew, "That is, if Hojo's rants are to be believed."

Vincent sat brooding in the opposite chair, and he placed his gauntlet hand over his chest, near his heart. "They want the protomateria. How did they find out about it?"

"We're not clear on that," admitted Reeve. "A lot of the pieces to this puzzle are missing. We're doing what we can with Hollander and Scarlet's information, but Hojo has the _real_ nitty gritty and half of what he says these days doesn't make any sense. I think he's finally snapped."

"I see." Vincent contemplated the red liquid in his half-full glass, the ruby color of his gaze matching the wine. "And what has this to do with Lucrecia? You haven't told me, yet."

Reeve rubbed his eyes and had another sip before answering. "Lucrecia's the one that merged you with Chaos and put the protomateria in you, right?"

Vincent nodded.

"Well, Hojo mentioned something about a thesis she wrote. I'm betting we'll find all of the answers to our questions about the protomateria if we can find that thesis. It will be one less piece of information we'll have to try and wring from Hojo."

"Do you have any idea where to look?" asked Vincent, his gaze lowered.

Knowing how painful the subject of Lucrecia was to him, Reeve's tone was solemn. "Hojo didn't say, but if I were to venture a guess, I'd say it might be found somewhere within the ShinRa mansion in Nibelheim. That's where it all took place."

Vincent frowned into his collar, obviously struggling with dark memories of the past. "In the mansion. Where I just came from."

"Er, yes." Reeve wondered how it was possible for a man his age to still blush. "That's…where I would look."

Vincent sighed. "And you didn't see fit to mention this to me _before_ I left to come here?"

"Well, in hindsight, I probably should have…" Reeve cleared his throat, flushing hotter with embarrassment. "I wasn't really thinking about it. I was thinking about getting you here and warning you. Besides, I wouldn't really know what to tell you to look for. I doubt it's in a neat little book entitled '_Dr. Crescent's thesis_', after all."

"It would probably be in the lab somewhere," mused Vincent in his low, resonant voice. Apparently, he forgave Reeve his mistake. "And it would have Chaos or the Protomateria mentioned."

"Do you think she would have left it with the other research notes in there?" Reeve asked dubiously. "From what you told me, she was a hell of a smart lady. I would think she would have tried to hide her research from Hojo, after everything that happened."

"True, but you said Hojo knows about it," answered Vincent, "so we may be better off searching areas where he would have placed it, first."

"Good point. I guess this means we need to take a trip to Nibelheim and search the place—unless someone can loosen Hojo's tongue enough to get him to tell us exactly where he put it."

"Hojo won't talk," answered Vincent with a shake of his raven head. "Not unless he _wants_ to. He'll brag about his success and his research, but he won't give you anything he doesn't want you to know."

Reeve grimaced, forced to concede. He considered his friend with contemplative brown eyes and he made an observation. "You know, sometimes you and Sephiroth remind me of each other. He has almost the exact same attitude about Hojo."

"Because he's experienced Hojo's treachery first-hand," answered Vincent. "Just as I have. The man has caused suffering for both of us, Reeve."

The engineer's expression softened, and he wished he had the courage to reach out and take Vincent's hand. Doing so would only provoke a raised brow and questions, though. "I'm sorry," he said, settling for an apology to salve his helpless feelings of pity.

Vincent tilted his head slightly. "For what? You aren't responsible."

"I know," answered Reeve uncomfortably. He scratched the back of his neck and searched his brain for a proper response. "But still…if I had the power to spare you all of that, I would."

Vincent's walls came down briefly, allowing a hint of gratitude to show in his crimson eyes. "I know." His fine-boned features were relaxed and his skin was like flawless porcelain.

It occurred to Reeve that the moment probably couldn't get any more perfect, if he were to act on his desires. The wine, the trusting way Vincent regarded him, the festivities happening outside…it was the ideal romantic setting. Confident that Vincent wouldn't kill him if he gave in and tried to kiss him, Reeve started to scoot his chair around so that he could lean in for a smooch. He knew it was probably a mistake. Vincent's true love was a woman and there was no evidence to suggest he might go for another man, if he even felt human desire anymore. Still, Reeve couldn't think of a better opportunity to find out if there could really be something more than friendship between them.

"What are you doing?" Vincent asked curiously as the other man started scooting closer.

Reeve was prepared to answer him, to tell him that he was finally taking a chance. He didn't get the opportunity, though. Just as he parted his lips to speak, there was an explosion from somewhere outside and the windows shattered. The concussive force of the blast shook the Inn and knocked Reeve off his chair. Vincent lunged for him and raised his cape, covering him protectively with it and his body as plaster fell from the ceiling.

"What the _hell_?" gasped Reeve, stunned stupid.

"The village is under attack," answered Vincent as he reached for his formidable gun. He rolled off of the ShinRa executive and went to the window, flattening himself against the wall as he cautiously peered around the broken frame to the street below.

The screams coming from outside lent testament to Vincent's theory, and Reeve scrambled to his feet and procured his own gun, joining Vincent on the other side of the window. "Who's attacking?" he coughed, inadvertently breathing in some dust that had been stirred up by the blast.

Vincent's black brows were drawn down as he looked outside. "It appears to be an army."

Gunfire went off and Reeve winced at the sound of an agonized scream, cut off abruptly. He peered around the frame of the window and when he saw the black and blue, form-fitting uniforms worn by the unexpected invaders, he understood.

"Deepground."

* * *

"Why you doing this?" Barret demanded when Zack opened the cab door for Jessie and winked at her. The young woman blushingly got into the cab, smiling shyly at the handsome Soldier. Biggs got in after her and they both peered out at Barret, waiting for him to join them.

"It's been decided that you're less of a burden free than you are in our prison," answered Sephiroth coolly. "Perhaps AVALANCHE will look back on this moment and recall that ShinRa can be lenient."

Barret scowled. "One action don't excuse everything else ShinRa's done in the past."

"Maybe not," agreed Sephiroth, "but trust me, Mr. Wallace; you may soon find that ShinRa Inc. is the least of your worries."

Barret frowned at the ominous statement. "What the hell's going on, General Sephiroth?"

"I wish I could tell you," replied Sephiroth sincerely, "but that information is currently classified. I advise you to concentrate on maintaining defense perimeters and lying low, wherever your base of operations is. That's my free opinion."

The AVALANCHE leader regarded him suspiciously, his chiseled, dusky features hard. "You're just trying to scare us."

Sephiroth gazed into his eyes. "If I wanted to scare you, Mr. Wallace, I'd have you and your friends hanging by their own intestines on these city walls, by now. Don't be so quick to discount my advice."

Barret grimaced and looked at Zack. The younger Soldier smiled in a much friendlier fashion and gestured at the cab. "You'd better get going," he suggested, "before people get suspicious."

"Come on, Boss!" Jessie called urgently, "Let's just go while we can!"

Barret cast one more mistrustful glance at the two SOLDIER operatives, before climbing into the cab with his companions. "If we make it out of this city alive, I guess we owe you one," he grumbled.

"Put it on our tab," quipped Zack. He shut the cab door and slapped the roof to signal the driver. The cab took off and he watched with Sephiroth as it drove down the street with its passengers and turned at the traffic lights.

"Was the flirting really necessary, Zackary?"

Zack turned to his companion, somewhat startled. "What flirting?"

Sephiroth raised a brow at him. "The wink. It wasn't appropriate."

Zack didn't have to feign his look of confusion. "I didn't wink." He scratched his head and frowned uncertainly. "_Did_ I?"

Sephiroth sighed. "I suppose you can't really help it. Come, I have something to do and I want you to be there, in case I start to lose control."

Zack caught on immediately and he looked at him with worried, blue-violet eyes. "You're going to do it, aren't you? You're going to let that quack talk to Jenova."

"We need information," reminded Sephiroth passively. "Can I count on you, or not?"

Zack sighed and shut his eyes briefly. "Of course you can, Seph. I've got your back. Shouldn't we tell Ange and Gen first, though?"

"Let them be, for now," answered Sephiroth. "You can call them for assistance if and when they are needed."

Zack nodded. "Okay. I just want you to know, I think this is a big mistake."

"These days, I second-guess everything we do," admitted Sephiroth, "but our choices are becoming more limited by the day."

Zack had no practical argument for that observation.

* * *

_Meanwhile in Kalm:_

Reeve was angry for two reasons. First and foremost, he was angry that anyone would attack innocent civilians. Secondly, he was angry that they had dared to interrupt what could have been a pivotal moment in his and Vincent's relationship. Being essentially cock-blocked by an invading army of freaks was doing nothing to improve Reeve's quality of life, and he intended to make them pay for that. As he followed behind his companion down the stairs to the lobby, he relished the thought of blowing away the first Deepground operative he saw.

"No good," Reeve said after trying a second time to contact HQ on his cell. "The reception here is shit. I'll have to try again once we're outside."

Vincent stopped at the desk and he peered over it at the frightened Innkeeper crouching behind it. "Stay down," he advised the man. "If you have a cellar, go into it and barricade it."

The Innkeeper nodded and crawled over to the door leading to the office. He fiddled with his keys with shaking hands and he opened it as Vincent and Reeve covered him. Once he was in the office and the door was shut, the dark gunman nodded to his companion and he moved with fluid grace to the Inn door.

"I'll provide a distraction," Vincent warned after glancing outside and checking the situation. "Right now, they seem to be concentrating on rounding up everyone they haven't killed. You said your vehicle is at the edge of town?"

"Yes," answered Reeve. "The Shadowfax is fully armored with a range of weapons, and I'm the only one that can operate it. If we can get to it, we'll be home-free."

"Then I'll get us there," promised the gunman.

He started to head out the door, but Reeve hurried up to him and grabbed his arm. "Wait," urged Reeve. He looked out the broken window at the sight of men, women and children being rounded up. "We can't just leave all of these people. We have to try and save at least _some_ of them, Vincent."

The crimson eyes glowed briefly and Vincent turned his head and considered the people outside. "We can't save all of them. You know that."

"Yes, but we can gather a few," insisted Reeve. "There's room in the Shadowfax to take some of them. We have to at least try."

Vincent reluctantly agreed. "All right. I'll provide the distraction and you try to free as many civilians as you can."

* * *

Reeve hadn't seen Vincent in action for some time, and he had to shake himself out of it when the sight of his friend moving through the ranks like crimson death proved to be mesmerizing. Vincent's red cape had almost organic properties, and he could control it like an extension of himself. Safe within its confines, he flowed through the air at the ranks of Deepground operatives and he fired Cerberus at them. Some of the Deepground attackers appeared to be little more than beasts with human forms, encapsulated by their body armor. Fanged mouths opened wide and howls of rage split the night air as they moved on all fours and tried to pounce on the flowing red phantom.

Reeve tore his attention away from the spectacle, ignoring the shouted orders of the more human invaders as they tried to deal with Vincent. He saw one of the vehicles they were loading people into up ahead, by the town bank. There were only two guards and to Reeve's eyes, they appeared to be standard operatives. So far, there were no signs of any Tsviets—for which he was exceedingly thankful.

Reeve checked his pockets for the devices he always carried with him in case of emergency, and he prayed to Gaia he hadn't forgotten the tear gas. When his fingers closed around the small, cylindrical object he breathed a sigh of relief. Forcing his fear back, the engineer ran for the stolen hover transport, yelling at the top of his lungs. He chucked the bomb with one hand and fired his gun with the other as the guards too notice of him.

_~Maybe alerting them with my screams wasn't the brightest thing to do.~_

The thought crossed his mind as the little canister sailed through the air and his enemies reflexively hit the ground to avoid his bullets. There was no help for it now, and all Reeve could do was keep firing and hope he didn't get vitally hit before the tear gas went off. The yellow-green smoke poured out of the canister as it landed and rolled a few feet, close enough to affect the targets. Unfortunately, some of the gas reached the civilians inside the transport too and Reeve winced as the ones closest to the hatch fell to their knees and coughed.

_~Well, they're better off crying a few tears and coughing than dead,_~ he reasoned.

"Come on," Reeve shouted aloud when he reached the transport and opened the door. He gestured at the bewildered people inside, urging them to follow him. "Get moving, folks! Follow me!"

Reeve reached out and caught a little girl, handed down by a woman he assumed to be her mother. "What's _that_?" the child cried, pointing over his shoulder as he took her into his arms.

Reeve turned and saw Vincent hovering over the crowd of operatives at the end of the cobbled street, still drawing their fire. Nothing could be seen of the man, except for when he fired out of his billowing cloak.

"That's our distraction," he answered. "Hang on tight, pumpkin. The rest of you, follow me!"

* * *

They made it to the very edge of the village before they ran into any opposition. Reeve stumbled to a halt, as did the group of civilians following him. There was a group of nine Deepground operatives between them and the Shadowfax, and the operatives had their heavy-looking guns trained on them. Reeve knew that one more step could result in all of them getting blown away. He set the little girl he was carrying down on the ground, and she ran to her mother with a sob while he raised his hands in a pacifying gesture.

"Please," Reeve said to the uniformed invaders, "Don't hurt them."

"Drop your weapons," demanded one of them, his voice muffled behind the neon-blue striped mask he wore over his face. "Now!"

Reeve quickly did as ordered, allowing his pistol to drop from his slack grip to the ground. A glance behind him showed that the few Civilians with knives, bats or firearms also dropped their weapons. Reeve put his hands behind his head and he stared at the apparent leader of the group.

"Okay, we've dropped weapons. Just take it easy."

Covertly, he was reaching for the materia bangle still fastened around his left wrist.

"Relinquish the children first," demanded the Deepground agent.

A woman sobbed and shook her head, holding her son tightly against her. Reeve turned to regard her, still carefully maneuvering his hands. "It's going to be okay," he promised her. He turned to face their opposition again and he hoped Vincent was still okay and on his way to them.

"We'll send the kids over if you promise not to hurt them." He had no intention of relinquishing children to these people, but he needed to buy some time.

"Send them over, or die," countered the Deepground operative coldly. "We can always harvest more."

"'_Harvest_'?" repeated Reeve, frowning. He could work out the meaning behind that later, though. His fingertips came into contact with the smooth surface of one of his materia orbs, and a mental count told him that he _should_ be touching one of the two summon materia he'd equipped.

_~I hope so. Otherwise I'm going to end up tossing a Cure spell at these bastards and that won't do us a lick of good.~_

Reeve shut his eyes and braced himself. "Here goes nothing."

He pressed the materia and activated it, hoping against hope that he hadn't mistaken its location. The ground shook and he opened one eye hopefully as a crack appeared in the earth. Civilians screamed in alarm as a set of four pillars arose from the soil, followed by a platform and a skeletal, robed figure. The Deepground operatives were sufficiently surprised, and they stared as Hades began to cackle over his cauldron.

Realizing they had a limited amount of time to get out of the way, Reeve began to herd his "flock" toward the Shadowfax. Faced with this new, unfamiliar threat, the invaders were too busy firing ineffectually at the summoned underworld god to bother with the civilians.

"Go, go, go!" Shouted Reeve, clicking the button on his wristwatch to unlock the Shadowfax. The back hatch to the cargo area opened up with a hydraulic hiss. "Climb in, people! Trust me, you do _not_ want to be close when that cauldron boils over!"

Desperate for escape and terrified, the two-dozen Kalm survivors following him hastened to Reeve's specialized hovercraft. They piled in while Reeve retrieved his gun and covered them, and he backed away prudently when his Hades summon reached its climax.

"Vincent, where the hell _are_ you?" Reeve muttered, just as the cauldron exploded and the nearby attackers were blown away with the force of it.

As if summoned by his call, Vincent's flowing red cape appeared and it drifted rapidly toward the Shadowfax, like some macabre kite. Reeve breathed a sigh of relief and he gestured urgently at it, yelling for Vincent to get inside. He vaulted the ramp leading into the cargo area and he started to close the doors, timing it so that they shut just as Vincent made it inside and landed on his knees.

"Don't worry about him," Reeve shouted to the startled Kalm residents. He yanked the door to the driver section open and he dove through it. "He's a good guy. Vincent, stay alert! I'm getting us the hell out of here."

He slid into his seat, placed his circuit-grafted fingertips over the smooth surface of the left control panel in the armrest and grabbed the mainframe jack from its dock. He pulled the wire out and plugged into the system, before resting his right hand fingertips over its armrest. Reeve's pupils dilated as he powered up the Shadowfax and went online, activating all weapons and defensive shields.

"Hang on, everyone," Reeve announced, "This might not be a smooth ride!"

* * *

Reeve's warning was a bit of an understatement. They only made it about a mile away from the village, before they were beset by Deepground forces, riding on hoverboards. Reeve felt the shockwaves of the first blast as the vehicle's defenses absorbed it.

"Vincent," he warned over the intercom, "we've got company. I'm activating the weapons system, but I may need your help."

"I'm prepared," agreed the gunman.

Reeve took his left hand off the control panel and he reached up to grab the targeting visor from overhead. He pulled it down and fit it over the top of his face, adjusting it before turning it on. The visor presented him with a three-dimensional synthesized view of the surroundings outside the hovercraft, as well as tracking and targeting dots. Unfortunately, the scanner was only able to track the mechanical and electrical equipment of his enemies. Should any of them decide to leave their vehicles to try and board his, Reeve would be figuratively blind to them.

"Targets in site," announced Reeve. "Vincent, instruct our passengers to lay flat and seek cover behind their seats as I open the hatch. You'll need to take out anyone I miss, okay?"

"Understood," agreed Vincent. "Do it."

* * *

When Vincent saw the number of pursuers, he swore to himself. Cerberus' special properties would allow him to fire an endless amount of bullets without running out of ammo, but could he fire fast enough to take out his enemies, before one of their bullets found and killed one of his charges? The artillery guns of the Shadowfax turned to face the Deepground pursuit, fixating on the furthest group. Vincent understood when the guns blew them away. Reeve was leaving the closest enemies up to him.

Vincent rolled as the first enemy bullet struck the metal floor by his boots, sending sparks. He returned fire quickly and he saw the culprit grab at his neck to stem a spray of blood, before falling away. A female operative got in close and rather than dodge Vincent's bullet, she jumped off of her hovercraft and into the open hatch of the Shadowfax. She tackled the lean gunman just as he aimed his weapon at her and they went down together, rolling and punching.

"Vincent, are you okay back there?" Reeve's voice asked over the comm. Unit.

"Fine," grunted Vincent. He met the wide eyes of a little boy just before his opponent head-butted him, bloodying his nose. "Keep…going."

Five more of their pursuers fell to Reeve's artillery fire while Vincent struggled with his abnormally strong opponent. He finally tore her mask away, and he resorted to what Zack would have called "chick fighting", digging the clawed thumb of his golden gauntlet into her eye. She screamed as he punctured it and a gooey drip of bloody fluids spilled over. Vincent kicked her away as she clutched at her face, knocking her out of the vehicle. He got to his feet and narrowed his eyes at the next opponent, before sighting his weapon on them.

Cerberus punched holes right through the strange, blue-striped body armor of the nearest agent and he fell from his hoverboard with a cry. Another one got too close and Vincent had to kick out at him with the pointed end of his boot as he tried to grapple his gun from him. He punctured the man's calf with his boot and as soon as he fell to the pain, Vincent blew his brains out.

He was doing well holding them back on his own, but eventually a few of them made it past Reeve's attacks and Vincent was threatened to be overwhelmed. He employed a combination of melee attacks and gunfire to keep them away from the civilians, but he feared he might soon need to unleash one of his demons.

That terrible choice never had to be made, however, because the mother of the little girl that Reeve had carried himself came up beside Vincent and whacked two of his attackers with the broomstick she'd dragged onto the vehicle with her. She popped the first one in the eye with the end of it while he was stunned, and then she cracked the length of it over the neck of the second. The broomstick broke under the force of her attack, but it bought Vincent the moments he needed to kick both of the attackers off the ramp.

"Thank you," Vincent said to the young mother—who had the look of a person totally shocked by her own actions.

She gave him a nod and a breathless laugh before going further back in to check on her son. Vincent examined the situation and he relaxed a bit, seeing that what remained of their pursuit was falling behind. The Deepground forces were apparently losing interest in them as quarry.

"Reeve, we've beaten them back."

"Good," answered the other man. "If you don't mind, I'll keep the pedal to the metal until we reach Junon. I'd rather not take chances."

The hatch began to close again and Vincent nodded. "A wise choice."

"So," Reeve answered conversationally, "Believe me now? You aren't going to jump ship before we make it to Junon, are you?"

Vincent smirked into his collar and braced himself against the wall as the vehicle jostled him. "Yes I believe you, and no, I'm not going to 'jump ship'. I'm impressed, Reeve. I didn't know you had it in you."

"Oh, I'm full of surprises," agreed the engineer. "Nobody's hurt back there, are they?"

Vincent looked around. For the first time, he noticed a man lying unmoving on his back, and a young woman was sobbing over him. A pool of blood was spreading out beneath his head, evidence of a gunshot wound. Vincent frowned unhappily. "We have one fatality. I'll check the others."

"I'll try not to jostle you," promised Reeve.

The Shadowfax sped along the broken ground, moving with all haste to Junon. Meanwhile, the town of Kalm burned in the background, her citizens rounded up to be the next victims of Deepground's "cause".

* * *

-To be continued


	20. Chapter 20

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter twenty: Desperate measures

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters._**

* * *

Hojo gave Sephiroth a ghastly smile when he stepped into the cell with Zack, and he got off the bunk and approached him eagerly. "Well, Sephiroth? Have you decided to cooperate?"

Sephiroth glanced at Zack, who looked like he wanted nothing more than to grab him and run out of there. "I'm prepared to give you what you want, professor. You'll get five minutes with Jenova, and when it's over, I expect you to tell me where the rest of your files are and give me any access codes I'll need."

"Of course," promised Hojo. He reached up and put his hands on Sephiroth's shoulders, prompting the general to tense up. "Just let me see her."

Sephiroth kept his eyes on the professor as he addressed his fellow Soldier. "Zackary, stay by the door and have your weapon ready. Do _not_ let me leave this cell until I have full control of my body again. You know what I could do if you fail."

Zack swallowed and drew his broadsword. "Okay. I really hope you know what you're doing."

* * *

Vincent climbed into the front of the vehicle and sat down in the passenger seat next to Reeve. "Most of the survivors are okay. A couple of them suffered minor injuries and I've seen to them with the materia you gave me. We may want to have them looked at by medical staff when we reach Junon, just to be sure."

"So then you're coming with me?" Reeve glanced at him hopefully, keeping his attention half on the road.

"Hmph. I don't see what other choice I have," answered the gunman. "But I'm not staying there right away. As soon as we drop off these civilians, I need to procure transport to Nibelheim. I want to search for Lucrecia's thesis."

"That can be arranged," agreed Reeve. "I'll come with you and help."

Vincent nearly smirked. "You're just as curious to find out what's in it as I am, aren't you?"

"Guilty, as charged." Reeve gave him a crooked grin. "I won't lie to you, I find it all fascinating. I'd also like to know what Deepground wants to do with the protomateria."

"You won't find it fascinating if I should lose control of Chaos," warned Vincent.

Reeve nodded. "As long as you've got that protomateria, it shouldn't be an issue, though. Hmm, I wonder if Deepground wants it so that _they_ can control Chaos. To what end, though?"

Vincent shut his eyes and leaned back in the seat. "Does it matter?"

"You don't want to know?" Reeve's expression said he found that odd.

"I'd rather not. Anyone who wants to meddle with such things isn't someone I want to understand. I've had enough of it."

Reeve didn't speak further on the matter.

* * *

When they arrived in Junon, Reeve got the survivors to the infirmary and reported the situation in Kalm. Unfortunately, there was no way any rescue force could make it there in time to save the captives. It was a sure bet that they were being taken to Midgar to be "processed", like all the other unfortunates rounded up by Deepground. Rufus assured him that they were working as fast as they could to prepare for the assault on Midgar. If they were lucky, they would overpower the enemy occupation before the citizens of Kalm shared the fate of those that went before them. Seeing that there was nothing more he could do for them, Reeve explained that he needed to travel to Nibelheim with Vincent. He went to his sleeping quarters where his friend waited for him, and convinced Vincent to wait long enough for him to at least _try_ to get more information out of Hojo.

"That mansion is huge, and this is going to be one long search if we don't even know what exactly we're looking for," reasoned the engineer. He packed some more clothes into his suitcase and looked up at the man standing on the other side of the room. "Of course, we _could_ get lucky and find it right there in the lab with all the other research notes, but just in case we don't, it will be helpful to have some idea of where else to look."

Vincent sighed. "You're best off not mentioning me, if you press him for more information. If he knows I'm after the thesis, he'll never tell you anything."

"I see," murmured Reeve. "Then I'll be sure not to mention you."

He wondered if Dr. Crescent would have gone through with all of it, if she'd known how it would turn out for Vincent. Letting him die probably would have been kinder, but he personally was glad she hadn't chosen that route. He had one more question for his friend, and the minute the words left his mouth, he regretted them and wished he could take them back.

"If you could say one thing to her, what would it be?" Reeve winced. "Sorry, Vincent…that isn't my business."

Vincent looked at him with unreadable, melancholy red eyes. "I don't mind. If I could speak to Lucrecia again, I would tell her I forgive her. It's what she seemed to need to hear the most."

Reeve nodded. "I'd better finish packing." He covered a yawn and excused himself. "Pardon me."

"You should get some rest," suggested Vincent. "We have a long flight ahead of us and it's been a trying day."

"I'll sleep on the airship," promised Reeve. "I still need to try and swindle Hojo into telling me more about the thesis. Damn, I can't believe how much has happened in just a few days."

"It's going to get worse before it gets better," predicted Vincent ominously.

"That's the spirit, Sunshine," Reeve said sarcastically. "I'm glad you're here to cheer me up."

* * *

"Whoa, easy," Zack said, supporting his companion's staggering steps with an arm around his waist. "We should get you to your quarters so you can lay down. You definitely need your rest, if you're going to lead the attack on Midgar Wednesday.

"Zackary," murmured Sephiroth softly. "I apologize."

The brunet stopped and stared at him. "Did…did you just say you're sorry?"

"I attacked you," answered the general groggily, his pupils dilated to ovals. "I couldn't…stop myself."

"Hey, don't sweat it." Zack swallowed painfully, his throat aching terribly from the near-strangling he'd received at Sephiroth/Jenova's hands. "It wasn't you, man. Anyway, you put a stop to it."

"When your face began to turn purple," corrected Sephiroth. "It should never have gotten that far."

Zack shrugged as best he could while supporting the silver-haired man. "At least you got some info out of it…if Hojo didn't give us bogus codes."

"Small wonders," sighed the general. "If he gave us false information, I'm done with him. I'll kill him myself."

Zack shivered, having no doubt he meant it. "We'll find out when we check it out in the data room. Don't get ahead of yourself."

Reeve approached them in the hallway just as they reached the T intersection and they stopped to greet him. "Hey, what's up?" Zack asked.

"I need information from Hojo," answered Tuesti abruptly, "and I don't have time to beat around the bush with him. General, do you think you could…uh…"

He noticed Sephiroth's condition and the marks around Zack's throat then, and he frowned. "What the hell happened to you two?"

"Nothing much," answered Zack. He nodded at his companion. "Sephiroth just channeled Jenova and she decided to throttle me. We're cool now."

Reeve looked at Sephiroth with wide eyes. "After all the effort you put into shutting her out? Why would you do a thing like that?"

"To gain Hojo's cooperation," answered Sephiroth. "He promised access to all his remaining files if I would let him speak with Jenova."

"I see." Reeve watched the tall, silver-haired man warily. "And what was that like?"

"Freaky as all get out," answered Zack. "It was Sephiroth, but it _wasn't_ Sephiroth. I could see it in his eyes, just like that time in Nibelheim. He didn't even talk the same. Hojo acted like a crazy fanboy and I half expected him to start kissing Seph's feet or something. He just kept going on and on about the 'plan' and making promises to her that Gaia would 'soon be hers'. She didn't seem all that impressed."

"And when did she decide to strangle you?" asked Reeve with concern. "You should have that looked at, Fair."

"I will," he promised. "Like I said, she didn't really pay much attention to me at all until she tried to leave the cell and I blocked her way. Seph boxed her back up before she could do any real damage, though." He looked at the general. "By the way; you are _freaky_ strong—even for a SOLDIER operative."

Sephiroth didn't comment on that. "What did you want from me, Reeve?"

"I…er…wanted you to try and convince Hojo to give you more information on Dr. Crescent's thesis on Chaos. If not, maybe he can explain a few things and we won't have to go searching for it. Hojo is the one that said Deepground was after the protomateria, after all. If we can get him to talk or find that thesis, we can gain an understanding of what they're trying to accomplish and _maybe_ we can put a stop to it with minimal bloodshed."

Sephiroth was silent for a moment, before digging into his long black jacket for something he'd put in an inner pocket. He handed the slip of paper over to Reeve and nodded at it.

"This is the information Hojo gave me on the location of the rest of his files, and the codes needed to decrypt them. I intended to give it to you anyway, so that you could process the data for us. Chances are you'll find information on the thesis in this data, and if you don't, I'll speak with Hojo about it. Assuming he isn't deceiving us, he's promised to give me whatever information I ask for."

"Uh-huh." Reeve tried not to make it sound too insulting. "All for a little chat with Jenova? What's the catch?"

"There isn't one," insisted Sephiroth. "Interacting with Hojo can be surprisingly simple, if you find the right angle."

"I'm sorry General, but I'm not buying it." Reeve looked at the taller man's exhausted expression and dazed eyes. "Why would Hojo jeopardize his own goal by giving us all the information we need to put a stop to it? He _wants_ Deepground to succeed in whatever plan they're cooking up. He's made that abundantly clear. Why risk screwing that up?"

"Because his fatal flaw is his ego," answered Sephiroth. "He's confident that no amount of information he gives us now will make a difference."

"Then we shouldn't shatter that illusion," suggested Reeve. "Vincent Valentine is here with me, and I intend to make it damned hard for Deepground to get their hands on him _or_ the protomateria."

"Wait," Zack said, frowning, "Vincent has it? And what _is_ the protomateria, anyhow?"

"It's the key to controlling Chaos," answered Reeve, "and something called 'Omega', too. I haven't had time to properly research it, but if we can get Dr. Crescent's thesis, I won't have to. Vincent and I are prepared to travel to Nibelheim to look for it, unless we can manage to get the information we need from Hojo before the airship takes off."

"I'll go back in and ask him about it," answered Sephiroth. "Since he's mentioned it already, I don't need to fabricate a reason for asking."

"You sure you don't want to lay down for a while, first?" Zack asked. "That business with Jenova really wiped you out."

"I'll manage," insisted Sephiroth. He pulled away from Zack and turned to face the way they'd come from. "It's better to ask while he's relatively lucid and still in a satisfied mood. He may become uncooperative if we wait."

* * *

Reeve waited with Zack in the hallway while Sephiroth returned to Hojo's cell and questioned him. "You look worried," remarked Reeve to the younger man.

Zack rubbed his sore neck and shrugged. "If you'd seen him earlier, you'd be worried too. Jenova's a psycho, Reeve. I hope Sephiroth didn't leave himself open by letting her out for a few minutes."

"Don't worry," soothed Reeve. "I've only known one other man with willpower to match Sephiroth's. Trust him, Zack."

"I'm trying," sighed the Soldier, "but he's my friend and I don't like seeing him suffer like that, even if he tries to brush it off."

"There's nothing you can do except support him," reminded Reeve, "and he obviously trusts you a great deal, to have brought you with him to handle it if things got out of control. I would have expected him to recruit Angeal for that job."

Zack lowered his gaze. "I would too, but I guess after Nibelheim, he figures I'm the man for the job."

Reeve looked at him with interest. "What else happened in Nibelheim? I know you stopped him from going off the deep end, but there must be more to it than that."

Zack averted his eyes. "Not in Nibelheim," he answered softly. "After it. Sorry Reeve, I can't talk about it. It's between us SOLDIER officers and I made a vow it would stay that way."

"Well, I guess I'll have to drop it and speculate, then." Reeve patted the younger man's over-burdened shoulder supportively. "Whatever it was, I can see it was hard on you. You're a good friend, kid. Sephiroth and the others are lucky to have you."

Zack shrugged bashfully. "I didn't do anything any decent person wouldn't have done. Thanks, though."

Sephiroth came out of the cell then, and the conversation ceased as he approached them. "Search the piano," he said to Reeve in a fatigued tone. "That was the best I could get out of him."

"It's better than nothing," insisted Reeve. He shook Sephiroth's gloved hand. "Thank you, General. I'll have my laptop with me and I'll start processing that data in my spare time, while we're away. If I find anything that could help you in the fight for Midgar, I'll be sure to send it to you or Director Lazard immediately."

"Good enough," agreed Sephiroth. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to have some rest and Zack needs to see a doctor."

"I'm not looking forward to explaining these marks," sighed Zack. "Couldn't we just use a Cure spell and call it a day?"

"I may have done damage to you that requires a doctor's care," insisted Sephiroth. "This isn't negotiable."

Zack grumbled under his breath.

* * *

The next day, Reeve and Vincent arrived in Nibelheim. They didn't linger in town, but went straight to the mansion in the hopes of collecting the thesis. Unfortunately, they found no evidence of any files or paperwork of any kind inside of the musical instrument.

"Maybe he meant to look _under_ it," reasoned Reeve, grunting a little as he squatted down to search the floorboards below. He started to knock on the floor, listening closely for any signs of a hollow spot.

"I don't think you're going to find anything down there," Vincent said.

Reeve checked the underside of the piano, squinting to see in the dim chandelier light. "It doesn't hurt to be thorough. We came all this way and I'm going to make sure I've searched this thing inside and out."

"He could have been lying," reminded Vincent. "From what you've told me, Hojo's behavior lately has been unstable. He's even less trustworthy than before."

"I'm starting to wonder if his insanity is more of an act than a reality," Reeve hypothesized. He shook his head in disappointment when he found nothing, and he got back to his feet and wiped his hands off on his pants. "If it was here before, the thesis is gone, now. Why would he put it inside the piano, anyway?"

"Possibly because he didn't want to put it someplace too obvious," guessed Vincent. "Hojo always has a reason for everything he does; even if it makes no sense to anyone else."

"I suppose," Sighed Reeve, "but there's that safe, too. Maybe we should try cracking into it."

"Sir, you're back."

Both men turned to see the groundskeeper standing in the hallway, watching them. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Vincent glanced at the piano—which looked as though it had been recently dusted and polished. "Did you clean this?"

The young man nodded. "Yes, I thought it could use a good polish, and I dusted inside, too. Did…I do something wrong?"

"When you dusted it," Reeve said, "did you happen to find anything inside of it or near it, like a folder or a notebook of some kind?"

The young man frowned. "There was a journal of some sort. It was shoved to the back of the soundboard. I figured it was just misplaced by one of the previous residents."

"Where did you put it?" Vincent asked.

"In the study," he answered. "Is that okay? I thought about putting it in the basement lab but I don't really like going down there unless I have to."

"The study is fine," Reeve assured, sharing a look with Vincent. "Thank you, Toby. Just tell us what it looked like and we'll take it from here."

* * *

"This is it," Vincent announced when he found the old leather binder. He untied the ribbon holding it closed and he opened it almost reverently. "This is her handwriting."

Reeve came up beside him and looked down at the book in his hands. The pages were a bit yellowed, but overall the journal was in decent shape. "Excellent. Do you want me to read through it first, or would you like to do the honors?"

Vincent had to think about it for a moment. He knew it would be hard to read through Lucrecia's work. He knew he would hear her voice in his mind as he read her handwriting, and he knew it would bring back painful memories. Still, he needed to know all the facts, and he could relinquish the book to Reeve afterwards.

"I think I should read it first," Vincent finally said, caressing the cover of the book with his uncovered hand.

"I understand," Reeve assured him. He picked up the case containing his laptop. "While you're doing that, I'll get cracking on Hojo's data and find out if it's the real deal."

* * *

Later that evening, Lazard got an email from Reeve, informing him that Hojo's data was legitimate. He assured him that he could work with the information he'd procured and recalibrate the scanners to detect Deepground operatives. Now that he had the basic genome build, it was only a matter of making the right adjustments. The news came as a relief to Lazard, who was stressing more than he wanted to admit over the impending Midgar battle.

They had only one day left to prepare for it. Would that be enough? The new data from Hojo's additional hidden files apparently proved that Scarlet's numbers weren't exaggerated. The Deepground army was at least as big as ShinRa's regular army, and since his father's attempt to eliminate it failed, they had to assume those numbers weren't diminished. They were likely going to have to send in the whole army to deal with them, along with all available SOLDIER operatives.

"Why didn't the bomb kill them?" he wondered.

The only explanation he could think of was that they knew it was going to go off and they somehow managed to get it close enough to the surface to survive the blast. Speculating over it was useless, though.

The thought had occurred to him more than once that they could try to reason with Weiss—who was evidently their leader—but after reading about the way the subjects of Deepground were treated, he doubted it would do any good. They hated humanity, and with good reason. It wouldn't surprise Lazard if their ultimate goal were simply to exterminate as many humans as possible.

He should get some rest. He had a perfectly good bed in one of the luxury suites here in the Junon headquarters. He knew that sleep wouldn't come easily, though. He was simply too tense. Lazard lifted his head and he reached into the top drawer of his desk, seeking out the prescription pills he'd recently started keeping in there. He opened the container and shook one out into his palm with a sigh.

* * *

After a night of uneasy rest in one of the mansion's bedrooms, Reeve got up early the next morning and decided to take advantage of the plumbing. He had a quick shower and he changed into a fresh set of clothes before packing up and preparing to leave.

"Vincent," he called out as he started down the stairs, "We've got to get going. Are you up?"

He saw Toby sitting in one of the wing-back chairs by the foyer. The chair was facing away from the staircase and Reeve assumed by position of Toby's head that he was reading the morning paper.

"Morning, Toby," Reeve called. "Hey, have you seen Mr. Valentine yet today, or is he still in that coffin of his in the basement? We've got to get to the airship and leave, if we're going to make it back to Junon on schedule."

Toby didn't answer him. Reeve frowned and approached the chair. "Toby? Are you asleep or something?"

Reeve noticed the spreading crimson puddle on the floor beneath the chair and he went still. "Toby? You okay, kid?"

He circled around the chair slowly, feeling a horrible sense of dread. Toby's head was bowed and his arms were resting on the arms of the chair. It took Reeve a moment to realize that the button up shirt he was wearing wasn't red; it was stained with blood. The once white garment was soaked through from the collar to the hem, and when Reeve gingerly reached out to touch his neck and feel for a pulse, he discovered why. Someone had cut Toby's throat wide open.

Swearing, Reeve backed away and reached for his gun. Fear for his friend made his voice crack as he called out for him again. "Vincent, get up here!"

He turned, intending to run for the basement entrance and look for Vincent. He found himself face to face with a familiar woman, and he had a complete brain freeze as he stared into her glowing, crimson eyes. He'd seen her during the evacuation of Midgar, and again in the film clip Sephiroth found on a worker's discarded phone. Of course, when he saw her in Midgar he had no idea she was a Tsviet.

"Hello, Commissioner Tuesti," she greeted with a cold, feral smile. "Your man-servant bled well. I enjoyed slaughtering him like a pig."

Remembering the file information he'd found on this woman, he had a name to go with her angular face. "Rosso the Crimson, is it?"

He backed away from her slowly, taking note of the strange, double-bladed weapon she held at her side. She hadn't made a threatening move yet, but he could tell by the bloodthirsty look in her eyes that she could attack at any moment.

"You know who I am," she observed. "I feel flattered."

"Where did you come from?" Reeve demanded. "What are you doing here?" He had a horrible feeling he already knew the answer to the second question, and he cast a covert look around, afraid of seeing Vincent lying in a pool of his own blood, like poor Toby.

"I come from Deepground," she said in an amused tone, "but you know that. As for why I'm here, I want Valentine. Where is your friend, Mr. Tuesti?"

Reeve took some comfort in her question. She wouldn't be asking where Vincent was if she'd already killed him. "I don't know where he is. I'll be happy to give him a message for you, the next time I see him."

She lunged at him so fast that Reeve barely got the chance to lift his gun. She knocked it out of his hand and he found himself pressed up against the wall, with the sharp blade of her weapon resting against his throat. A trickle of blood etched down his throat as the blade made a shallow cut in his skin.

"You are nothing to me," she hissed. "Fodder. Excrement beneath my boot. I'll carve you from privates to neck and I'll bathe in your blood, if you don't tell me where Vincent Valentine is."

Reeve saw a flash of a familiar crimson cape behind his attacker and he did his best not to react and give it away. "You're very…descriptive. I wish I could help you, but I honestly don't know where Vincent is. I came down here looking for him when you ambushed me."

"Well then," she purred, drawing another bloody line across Reeve's throat, "let's see if we can't lure him out."

Without warning, she reversed her blade and stabbed downwards—directly through Reeve's shoe and into his foot. He obligingly screamed in pain and shock, and the Tsviet woman looked at him as though the sound of his suffering were orgasmic to her.

"Yes," she said to him. "Perfect! Louder, Commissioner. We want your friend to hear it."

She twisted the blade and Reeve couldn't hold back another cry. He vaguely heard the sound of gunshot fire through his agony, and he thought he was imagining it until Rosso suddenly released him and turned to deflect more bullets with her weapon.

"Get away from him," came the rough, low command. Vincent's cape billowed around him and his eyes were narrowed and dangerously aglow on her.

"Mr. Valentine, I presume," she greeted, grunting slightly with her efforts. "What a _beautiful_ red gaze you have. So glad you could join us. Hand over the protomateria and I'll kill you and your friend quickly."

Vincent shook his head. "Even if I could, I wouldn't."

The sharp smile returned to her lips. "Thank you. You've given me free reign to split you open. I may even keep those pretty eyes as a souvenir."

"Careful, Vincent," warned Reeve in a pain-laced voice, "she's got an obsession with blood."

"Reeve, get out of here."

The engineer hesitated, and before his friend could issue the command again, Rosso was upon Vincent like a furious whirlwind. The half-skirt attached to her outfit flared out as she leaped through the air and came down spinning. Vincent rolled away, but not quite fast enough to avoid a cut on his right shoulder. The leather body armor prevented it from going too deep, but he scowled in pain and he seemed to have a bit of trouble lifting Cerberus to retaliate.

Reeve spotted his own gun halfway across the room, and estimated that his chances of getting to it before Rosso closed in on his companion were slim. He made use of the materia bangle he'd slipped on after his shower and he activated the first offensive spell he found. Sadly, he hadn't socketed any summon materia, but what he did have was all fully grown and Rosso got a nasty shock when the Lightning spell struck her with maximum force.

Partially blinded by the crackle of electricity and wrinkling his nose at the smell of burnt ozone, Reeve watched the Tsviet fall to the floor. He limped around the stunned woman to Vincent's side, giving her a wide berth just in case. "Somehow, I doubt that will keep her down for long. We should try to restrain her and take her in for question—"

Rosso chose that moment to demonstrate a horror-movie cliché. She exploded into motion so fast that Reeve only had time to register her blade-staff sweeping out before the blunt side of it knocked him right off his feet. He barked a quick, choice curse word as he landed on his back and got the wind knocked out of him. He saw Vincent jump into the air and he heard Cerberus hammering out rounds. The cape was flowing around the gunman, providing cover and deflection from Rosso's attacks. The Tsviet demonstrated yet another interesting property of her strange weapon; it could shoot bullets, like a specialized gun blade.

"Unh…dammit," muttered Reeve.

At least Vincent's attacks forced Rosso to put most of her attention on him. Reeve located another spell materia and this time, he aimed it at Vincent. The minor cure spell took care of the cut in his shoulder and just as Reeve was about to do the same for his own foot, Rosso's boot came down at his head. He thought he spotted some squished gum sticking to the sole of it before it collided with his head and made him see stars. He shook his head to clear it as Rosso closed in on Vincent again. She was bleeding from a bullet gash in her right thigh, but she hardly seemed to notice it. She was fast…very fast. She got past Vincent's guard and when Reeve's vision cleared a bit, he saw her grappling with the gunman.

Vincent kicked out at her, hitting her in the stomach with his hard, golden armored boots. When she staggered, he tried to take aim at her head with his revolver, but she moved too fast for him and her weapon struck out, hitting his forearm and knocking the gun out of his hand. Reeve could see what was coming and he struggled to make his body comply with his mind and act, before it was too late. As formidable as Vincent was, he'd been asleep for five years and he was out of practice. The operatives they fought off in the Shadowfax weren't like this woman. They were like third class Soldiers compared to a First.

He tried to activate a Barrier materia to protect his friend from Rosso's next attack, but he got it confused with the Regen materia socketed next to it. Reeve swore again when the green glow lit up his companion, but a split second later, he was glad to have made the mistake. The larger blade of Rosso's weapon cut into Vincent's chest, and she shoved him against the wall violently when he tried to dodge away. The hoarse yell of pain that came a moment later made Reeve's adrenaline pump harder, and he scrambled to his feet despite the pain in the punctured one.

Reeve lurched for his gun, picked it up and fired it at Rosso's back. She deftly maneuvered her weapon behind her and he stared incredulously as the bloodied blade deflected his bullet. Her other hand came away from Vincent's chest, holding something in it that appeared to pulse with light. For a horrifying moment, Reeve thought it was the gunman's heart…but then he saw the sphere shape of it and he understood. She had cut the protomateria right out of his friend's chest.

"Vincent!"

Beyond caring about his own safety now, Reeve charged across the room at Rosso. He couldn't risk hitting Vincent with his gunfire or offensive spell materia—he didn't have a clear shot at her anymore. His body was the only weapon left immediately at his disposal. He didn't have a Soldier's strength or Vincent's supernatural abilities, but he worked out and kept himself fit. He was treated to a moment of satisfaction when Rosso stared at him with open surprise, evidently not expecting such a bold, aggressive move from him.

Unfortunately, Rosso didn't need a man's muscle mass to block Reeve's charge. She had rigorous combat training on her side, and her lean muscles were un-naturally strengthened by the stagnant Mako infusions she'd been subjected to. His tackle didn't quite work the way he'd hoped it would, but it did knock her off-balance. Reeve punched her in the face and he tried to wrest the protomateria from her hand, knowing what it could mean for Vincent and for the world if she got away with it. She snarled at him and he gagged in pain as her leather-clad knee struck him square in the groin.

"That's dirty fighting," He protested.

She didn't seem to care. She slipped her bloody trophy into a pouch strapped to her waist and she grabbed a handful of his hair, yanking his head back. "You aren't worthy of a 'fair fight', little sacrifice." She punched him hard in the jaw.

Reeve would have answered, if the hit hadn't come close to putting his lights out. Once again, he saw stars and he had to fight to keep from blacking out. He felt himself lifted and thrown, and he grunted as he struck the coffee table and broke it in half. The sharp pain in his side warned of a cracked rib and he tried to make use of his materia bangle as Rosso approached him. Her boot came down on his forearm, pinning it down and preventing him from using his materia. Reeve looked up through blurred vision to see her blade looming over him. At least he wasn't going down without a fight.

Just as Rosso started to draw back in preparation to strike, Reeve saw a winged form come up behind her and he blinked, his eyes widening. "Oh my god."

Rosso smirked down at him. "That trick won't work."

Keeping his eyes on the supernatural form looming over her, Reeve swallowed hard. "Okay, then."

A pale hand caught Rosso's arm before she could make her killing blow, and not even her enhanced strength seemed to be enough to break the hold. She turned and looked up at a face very similar to Vincent's, save for the glowing amber eyes and the markings on his face. Instead of hair, he had a mass of black and red spikes crowning his head and the bat-like wings rising from his back seemed to have replaced Vincent's cloak. The demonic creature narrowed his eyes at Rosso, evidently unimpressed with her efforts to break his hold on her. She twisted in his grasp and tried to kick out at him, getting over her surprise quickly.

Her opponent blocked her attack and he snarled at her, baring sharp, fang-like canines. A nimbus of energy surrounded him and Reeve prudently crawled away as it started to spread. He could hear the Tsviet's cries of pain and alarm, but he couldn't make out more than shadows within the nimbus of light. Rosso fell to the floor with her weapon, and she hastily got to her feet and fled. Reeve called out helplessly, aware that she still had the protomateria on her. He was in no condition to chase after her, however, and when he looked up again he knew he had a bigger problem to worry about.

"Hello…Chaos," greeted Reeve warily.

The intense, golden eyes stared down at him from a face as impassive as marble. They looked around and a subtle frown animated the sensitive-looking mouth, betraying what might have been confusion. Chaos seemed to shrink before Reeve's eyes then, the wings collapsing and the spikes turning into raven hair. Within seconds, Vincent Valentine collapsed before him. The open wound where Rosso had dug out the protomateria was rapidly closing, thanks to the Regen spell cast by Reeve earlier, but he must have lost a lot of blood from the injury.

"Vincent," coughed Reeve. He struggled over to him, casting a watchful look around just in case their insane new lady friend decided to come back for an encore. "Vincent, can you hear me?" He painfully pulled the gunman partway into his lap and he adjusted his bangle, wasting no time in casting a Cure spell.

Vincent stirred after a moment and he looked up at the engineer with dazed ruby eyes. "I saw…what happened…but couldn't act."

"Don't worry about that now," insisted Reeve. He began to see to his own injuries, though he feared he would need to have his ribs bound by a doctor.

"I can…feel him," whispered Vincent. "Stronger than the others…the protomateria helped me…hold him back."

"It's going to be okay," Reeve assured him—though in truth, he couldn't see how. They had both read Lucrecia's thesis and knowing what Omega was and how Chaos related to it, Reeve doubted anything was going to be okay.

* * *

After returning to Junon and having a hasty shower, Reeve called for an emergency meeting and he insisted on Vincent being present for it. Rufus argued that they needed to finish military inspections for the fight to come, but Reeve told him that the information he had was vital to their success in dealing with the situation. Cid, Tseng, Scarlet and Angeal were too busy with preparations to attend, but everyone else was there. They all stared at him as he explained the situation, and he knew he must look as bad as he felt. Vincent was silent and brooding in the corner of the room, keeping his troubled gaze lowered as he allowed Reeve to do all the talking.

"So in closing," Reeve finished, "Omega's ascension would basically mean the end of the world. Obviously, we don't want that to happen."

The room went utterly silent as everyone absorbed this information. Reno was the first to speak up, once he'd mulled it over. "So you're saying Deepground is out to destroy the whole fucking world? I don't get it. That would mean they've gotta go, too."

"Not necessarily," countered Hollander—who was now an active member of the board. "If the theories on protomateria are true, then it's possible that they intend to force Omega to wipe out all regular human life but spare Deepground, leaving them to inherit the planet."

"So they would inherit a dead world," Genesis said with a shrug. "I fail to see the allure in that."

"But if the life drained from _this_ world is bequeathed to another," reasoned Hollander. "They could start over, on their terms."

Zack fair listened to all of the speculation with an uncommonly serious look on his face, and when Hollander finished speaking, he looked up from the table. "Wait a minute…I've heard something like that before." He looked over at Sephiroth, sitting a few chairs down from him. "From you."

Sephiroth frowned at him. So did the others.

"When we were in Nibelheim," elaborated Zack. "Just before you took off to the Mako reactor. Well, I'm not sure it was really _you_, if you know what I mean. You were in the basement of the ShinRa mansion and I came down to talk to you. I heard you talking to yourself about using the planet as a vessel to build a new future somewhere else. You weren't talking to yourself though, were you? It was—"

"Jenova," interrupted the general, his face losing all expression. "She wants to use the Lifestream to create her own world, her 'promised land'. She stole the concept from the Cetra when she infected them and she revised it for her own purposes."

Rude leaned toward Reno and muttered below his breath. "Am I the only one that's lost, here?"

"Nope," assured the redhead. "I'm right there with ya, partner."

"We don't have time to explain the classified details of the Jenova project, right now," Reeve said. He looked at Sephiroth. "But there's a connection here."

Sephiroth nodded, his gaze meeting Reeve's. The engineer knew he was thinking about what he'd recently done to get Hojo's cooperation. "Jenova's desires parallel Deepground's apparent goal."

"And Hojo's been going on and on about how he set it all into motion," said Zack, nodding. "But how? You'd think he's controlling these Deepground guys, the way he goes on about it."

"Maybe he did something to the control chips they implanted into their brain stems," Genesis suggested. "He _did_ unleash some form of virus into the network, just before he was arrested."

A new possibility occurred to Reeve, then. His gaze went to the laptop Lazard had out. The director was working while participating in the meeting, checking in with people in his department assigned to do equipment inspections for the scheduled Midgar liberation attempt.

Reeve crossed the room to Lazard's seat and he turned the computer off without warning, drawing a supremely irritated warning look from the blond man.

"Just what do you think you're doing, Tuesti? If you say you need my undivided attention, I'll remind you that I'm adept at multitasking and I have a lot of work to do."

"Not through the network," Reeve insisted. He looked around the table. "In fact, I think we should revise our whole communication system, until I can ensure we don't have a hidden security breach."

Rufus didn't look pleased. "You've already assured me that you cleaned out all potential threats from the system."

"Everything I was able to detect, yes," agreed Reeve, "but I haven't encountered that artificial intelligence Hojo invented since I had that run in with it. I was beginning to think he may have programmed it to self-destruct upon discovery, but now I wonder if it went somewhere else."

"Like where?" asked Zack.

Reeve shook his head and combed his fingers through his unusually disheveled hair. "I don't know, but Rosso knew where we were somehow, and I don't think we should write off the possibility that they're monitoring our network and satellite communications, somehow. The AI has Hojo's consciousness and it may have the ability to adapt, too. Maybe it's learned how to cloak itself."

"I'm curious why you believe this," Lazard said. "It seems a bit far-fetched, Reeve. Maybe you need some rest."

Reeve compressed his lips with frustration as they all started to look at him differently, with that comment. He could tell they were starting to wonder if he was just being paranoid and his haggard appearance probably didn't lend credibility to his concerns. Vincent was the only one in the room not looking at him like he was having a breakdown.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I have this 'shot out of a cannon' look today," Reeve said, deciding it was time to tell them how he knew Deepground had the protomateria. "It's because Vincent and I were attacked while we were in Nibelheim. The groundskeeper was killed and the Tsviet responsible took the protomateria from Mr. Valentine."

"He had the protomateria?" Hollander looked at Vincent with renewed interest. "Of course…his father was involved in the first initial research on it and—"

"It doesn't matter how I got it," Vincent interrupted before the professor could drudge up more of his past and lay it out for everyone to speculate on. "Rosso the Crimson has it now, and that means its in Deepground's hands. They could use it to control Omega."

"But first they have to trick the planet into releasing it," added Reeve, "which means they need to emulate a global catastrophe. When the planet senses a big enough threat, it will wake Omega to gather the Lifestream and seek out a new habitat for it."

"How do you fake a global catastrophe, though?" Reno asked, spreading his hands.

"With enough sudden deaths," answered Genesis. "For example: mass culling."

"But that's not exactly 'global'," said Rufus. "It's isolated to Midgar. They bring their prisoners there and execute them."

"Location probably doesn't matter as much as the number of deaths, in the eyes of Minerva," insisted Genesis. "The flood of new souls into the Lifestream would be enough to get her attention, if there are enough of them."

"I'm really not liking where this is going," Zack muttered. "If a lot of deaths could set this thing off, couldn't we just make it happen faster by going in and attacking Midgar?"

"What else would you suggest?" demanded Genesis, "Asking them nicely to please stop committing genocide?"

"No," snapped Zack, "but maybe blowing more people up isn't the best way to convince the planet there's not some big catastrophe going on."

"You said Mr. Valentine harbors Chaos inside of him," Rufus reminded Reeve, his gaze going to the quiet gunman in the corner of the room. "And Chaos is connected to Omega. Could we possibly use that to our advantage, if these people get their way and raise Omega?"

"Maybe," Reeve answered uncertainly, looking at his friend. "From what I understand, Chaos was originally intended to be Omega's dark harbinger. He's essentially an angel of death, charged with gathering souls for the Lifestream for Omega."

"And exactly _how_ could we use that to our advantage?" demanded Genesis. "We have the dark angel and they have his 'master' _and_ the protomateria. If they control Omega, then they control Chaos by association."

"He's right," Sephiroth agreed. "We'd be more likely to make our situation worse by attempting to use Chaos against Omega."

"Well, at least with him stuck in this guy, _they_ can't use him against us," Reno said with a gesture at Vincent. "That's one less thing we've gotta worry about."

Reeve winced. "Actually, Mr. Valentine's control over Chaos isn't rock-solid. It seems the protomateria inside of him was keeping Chaos dormant."

Everyone looked at Vincent. "Are you saying," Rufus said in a carefully controlled voice, "that we are harboring a man who could turn into an ancient Weapon of the planet, at any given time?"

"Chaos isn't really a WEAPON, per say—"

"But Mr. Valentine can't guarantee that he can keep him safely dormant," pressed Rufus. "That's what you're saying."

Reeve sighed. "Yes, that's what I'm saying. However, Chaos is now _part_ of Vincent, and vice-versa. With a human conscience influencing his actions, he _could_ become an asset, rather than a liability. This man has lived with four other entities vying for control of his body for years, yet he hasn't gone on a rampage yet."

"The key word is 'yet'," insisted Rufus, getting out of his chair. "We've already had three terrorists escape interrogation, you're insinuating that Deepground has direct access to our systems despite your earlier assurances that they were secure, and now you want us to take this risk with Chaos? Commissioner Tuesti, I think this company has lost enough control as it is. We can't afford yet another wild card in the mix."

Vincent nodded stoically. "I expected as much. I won't resist if you feel I need to be taken into custody…not now."

"That isn't going to happen," Reeve said sternly. "Chaos didn't try to harm me when he manifested at the mansion. I really think you could work _with_ him, Vincent. It may just take some time."

"He wasn't active long enough to try and harm you," Vincent said. 'You don't know what he would have done, had he stayed for longer. I can't make any promises."

"You heard him," Rufus said. "General, please take Mr. Valentine into custody and be sure to assign round the clock surveillance. He doesn't leave that cell unless I specifically say otherwise."

Sephiroth approached Vincent with a hint of regret in his eyes. "Please come with me, Mr. Valentine. I'll see to it that you're treated well."

"Wait," protested Reeve, "He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"We can't take the risk," Rufus said firmly, "and Mr. Valentine has agreed to cooperate."

There was a distant rumble that made the windows rattle a little, temporarily distracting everyone. "Was that thunder?" Hollander asked.

Zack started to offer his opinion, when another boom and rumble followed the first. Somewhere in a distant part of the city, the faint sounds of gunfire could be heard. Genesis went to the window immediately and Lazard followed him.

"Hmph. The question of whether or not our forces are ready to raid Midgar is now moot," announced Genesis. "Deepground has apparently taken it upon themselves to bring the fight to _us_. The city is under attack."

* * *

-To be continued


	21. Chapter 21

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter twenty-one: Conscience

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note:_**_ I didn't want a three chapter battle so I made the decision to describe the fights that I felt were most significant to the plot and to leave the others up to the reader's imagination. _

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters._**

* * *

"This is just a suggestion," Genesis remarked as they all crowded to the windows, "but you may not want to put Valentine under arrest, just yet."

"Why not?" demanded Rufus.

"Because if the enemy gets past us and makes it into this tower, Mr. Valentine may be your last significant defense," answered Sephiroth with a glance at the former Turk.

"I'm just as capable of shooting a firearm as he is," Rufus said dismissively. "And I doubt that creature inside of him will rise up and defend us, if bullets fail to work."

"Vincent has other talents at his disposal," Reeve said. "Trust me, Chaos isn't the only card he could play if our attackers turn out to be lead-proof."

Rufus looked to Vincent warily. The gunman nodded reassuringly and he looked at Reeve as he rested his hand over his formidable weapon, sheathed at his thigh. "I'll defend the council and if I feel the threat of intrusion, I'll lock _myself_ into a cell."

Sephiroth was satisfied with that and he looked out over the city. It was difficult to tell how big of a force they were dealing with, from their vantage point. The buildings were in the way of a clear view, and Junon wasn't a small city.

"Valentine will do more good outside a cell than in one, right now," said Sephiroth. "President, please open these windows so that Lt. Rhapsodos and I can fly out and investigate. You and the others are to seal off this floor and stay here until we know what we're dealing with. Once I have a visual on the enemy, I'll contact you with coordinates. Is the canon operational?"

Rufus nodded. "Yes. Scarlet should be maintaining it now. We intended to use it as a defensive mechanism if the strike failed and Deepground retaliated. It seems we'll be using it sooner than we thought."

Lazard went to the control panel against the back wall and used his keycard to activate the mechanized, sliding windows. The reinforced glass panels began to slide up, opening the board room up to the evening air. Sephiroth and Genesis both manifested their wing and they prepared to take off and survey the situation from the air. Reno and Rude were already heading out the door, communicating with Tseng, Elena and Cissnei on their department frequency as they went.

"Wait," Zack called to his fellow SOLDIER officers, "What about me? Can one of you give me a lift?"

"Use the stairs," suggested Genesis with a smirk over his shoulder at him. "Your added weight would slow us down, puppy."

Zack muttered something rude under his breath.

* * *

Angeal was in the Junon SOLDIER barracks when the first explosion went off. He was just finishing up with inspections on Sephiroth's unit's weapons, having volunteered to finish up in there while the others attended the meeting. The floor vibrated subtly from the blast and his first thought was that someone else in ShinRa had activated another self-destruct mechanism to cover up or destroy yet more conspiracies. Other SOLDIER operatives nearby stopped what they were doing and looked around for a moment, understandably confused.

Then there was a second explosion, and the alarms began to go off. President Shinra's voice spoke over the intercom system, advising civilians to head for the nearest emergency shelters or lock themselves into their homes until authorities dealt with the situation. Lazard's voice came over the SOLDIER broadcast next, speaking over Rufus' citizen advisory.

"All SOLDIER units, mobilize for defensive action and protect the city," Lazard ordered. "Top priorities are the underwater reactor, the harbor, the airport and the ShinRa tower. Do not allow the enemy to gain control of any of these facilities. The Turks will assist you in this and the army will defend the civilians. General Sephiroth and his officers will give further instructions as needed."

Angeal went into action immediately, ushering the lower ranking operatives along and bolstering their morale with his confidence. He checked his Buster Sword and upon finding that he only had an Enemy Skill materia equipped in it, he made the decision to head for his locker and procure his issued bangle. He dug out his transmitter headgear as he ran, dodging other operatives and staff as he went.

"This is Lt. Hewley," Angeal said as he turned the transmitter on and adjusted it. "Does anyone copy?"

"I copy you, Hewley," Genesis' voice responded almost immediately—hinting that he'd been trying to reach him. "What is your status?"

"All units are armed and moving out," answered Angeal. "I'm in the process of equipping myself with materia and I'm prepared to lead my regiment to wherever I'm needed most."

Sephiroth's voice broke into the transmission, then. "Hewley, take your regiment to the reactor and guard the entrance. Send my units to Upper Junon's main entrance to rendezvous with me. We'll take point."

"Of course you will," groused Genesis, "right in the vanguard, basking in the glory."

"Not now, Genesis," Angeal warned. "General, what about the harbor, the airport and the tower?"

"Tseng and the Turks have the airport covered," answered Sephiroth. "Send Rhapsodos' men to join him at the tower. He'll be protecting the president and the others, along with Hojo. Don't make me regret this, Genesis."

Genesis sounded pacified by Sephiroth's apparent trust in him to defend the company heads and their most important prisoner. "Those Deepground insurgents will be the only ones regretting it, should they cross me."

Angeal could practically hear Sephiroth rolling his eyes as he responded. "See to it that you make good on your boasts. Fair, your regiment will meet with you at the harbor. If naval opposition arrives, you report it immediately and hold the harbor until help arrives."

There was no immediate answer.

"Lt. Fair?"

"Yeah, I've got it," Zack promised finally. "Sorry…my mic was flaking out on me. I'm heading outside now. Must be nice to be able to jump out a window instead of taking the elevator or stairs."

* * *

Zack heard the air units coming as soon as he set foot outside, and he looked up as he drew his sword. There were squads of enemy troops coming down on jet packs and some manner of flying motorbikes. They appeared to be heading for the SOLDIER barracks, where operatives of varying ranks were hurrying out to deploy to their designated posts. Some of them had noticed the threat and they joined the regular MP's in firing at them. Defensive steel panels were already shutting over some of the tower windows on the lower level, as added protection from any invaders attempting to break in. Some of Zack's regiment had already made it to the tower to meet up with him, and he heard Kunsel call out to him from the left.

"What are your orders, Zack?"

"Get everyone rounded up and head for the harbor," instructed Zack. "Our mission is to keep it secure. Don't let anyone lag behind; we've got to move fast."

"Right on," agreed Kunsel. He hastened to act on Zack's orders.

While Kunsel relayed the instructions, Zack looked up at the invaders coming in and he wondered where in the hell Deepground got their hands on airships. ShinRa helicopters had started to engage them, attempting to stop them from dropping more troops into the heart of the city.

Sephiroth's voice came through the SOLDIER channel. "SOLDIER officers, tune into the main ShinRa frequency," he ordered, "So that we can monitor everyone's status and coordinate with our allies. Keep this channel open for our private exchanges, though."

Zack adjusted his transmitter accordingly and he smiled a little when he heard Cissnei's voice announce that her chopper successfully brought down several Deepground operatives as they left their aircrafts, before they could touch down. Reno confirmed that the airport was still secure and Tseng ordered them all to get in formation around it. Captain Highwind announced that his airship was ready to take off and join the rest of the air teams in defense of the city.

As he started to move out with his regiment, Zack spotted Genesis leading some operatives to the tower and he impulsively waved at him, but the redhead was too busy instructing his people to notice. He felt a hand pat his arm to get his attention and he turned to regard his friend.

"Uh, Zack?" Kunsel hollered next to him, pitching his voice over the sound of yells and gunfire, "What the hell is _that_?"

Zack looked where his friend pointed and his jaw dropped at the sight of the huge figure dropping down out of a hovering airship with a group of regular-sized Deepground operatives. The guy had to be over nine feet tall and he was falling toward the street without any sort of parachute or jet pack to slow his descent. He was armed with what looked like a small cannon to Zack from his vantage point, and he didn't seem to be the least bit concerned about the rate at which he was falling. The impact of the hulking agent's landing cracked the street, but he hardly paused. He knocked ShinRa MP's out of the way like he was swatting flies and he barreled into the SOLDIER barracks like a bulldozer. Not even the SOLDIER operatives still coming out of the building seemed to be able to stop him. Zack recognized him as a Tsviet from the files and he cursed.

"Angeal's still in there," muttered Zack to himself. Obviously it would take more than the average SOLDIER had to deal with the threat, and Zack stood torn for a moment. He had a job to do…but he wasn't sure even his powerful mentor could face this new threat alone. None of them had faced Deepground members before now, and Zack had no idea how their skills and abilities would measure up to the Tsviets'. They'd been subjected to a more concentrated form of Mako treatment than even First Class SOLDIER operatives, after all.

"Kunsel, listen to me," Zack called, "I'm leaving you in charge of the harbor defense for now, okay?"

The Second's hazel eyes went wide behind the protective visor shading them under his helmet. "What? Why?"

Zack looked to the barracks again. "I just want to check on something. I'll be right behind you guys."

Kunsel looked at the barracks too. The sound of crashing, explosions and gunfire could be heard within, mingling with the noise of battle in the streets. "Okay, but I want it put on record that I think this is a bad idea!"

Zack forced a grin and patted him on the shoulder, before running full-speed for the barracks.

* * *

"Get ten operatives up to the cannon's control room, to help protect it," Genesis ordered. "Thirds are fine, but I want some Seconds in the mix. Some of you other Seconds move up to the executive level and a handful down to the holding level to defend them if these invaders get past us on the ground. The rest of you stay here with me and defend the main entrance."

Unlike Zack's men, these operatives didn't address their leader as common. They saluted Genesis sharply and hastened to comply with his orders in a timely manner. Genesis checked his materia and his sword as he oversaw their formations, and he silently hoped Angeal wouldn't have trouble securing the underwater reactor, and he wondered if he'd made it out of the barracks, yet. According to reports so far, lower Junon was under enemy control and the civilians living there had already been rounded up.

Genesis adjusted his ear peace and prepared to contact his lover to check on his status, telling himself that he wasn't being a ninny by doing so.

* * *

_Meanwhile, up in the Junon HQ tower:_

"Damn, it isn't working."

Reeve came up beside Lazard and regarded the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the city. "The lower level security panels activated without a problem. There must be a glitch in the system on this floor."

"Perfect," sighed the director. "Well, if we can't bring down the shutters, we may be best off retiring to another room—preferably one of the inner rooms without windows."

"Let me try," Reeve suggested with a gesture at the control panel.

Lazard stepped aside and as the others watched, Reeve opened up the box and had a look inside. "I think there's a short," he announced after assessing the situation. "I can try to fix it, but maybe the rest of you should take Lazard's suggestion and migrate to one of the inner board rooms."

Rufus was listening to the communications and he turned his transmitter down to answer. "There's no need for that. Rhapsodos has people coming up to guard this level. The glass in these windows are shatter resistant and our forces are keeping the enemy too occupied to try and reach us that way."

"That could change," Vincent pointed out. "Don't underestimate these people, President Shinra. They obviously know the layout of Junon well enough to have taken the lower part of it before your people knew they were there."

"I'm uncomfortable enough using the satellite network to organize this," Reeve said, his dark eyes on the control panel as he began making adjustments, "I really think you should reconsider, Rufus."

The president narrowed his eyes at him. "How else would you suggest our people coordinate the defense of this city, Tuesti? With bullhorns, perhaps? If they know the city as Mr. Valentine suggests, than they already know which key areas to attack and listening in on our frequency isn't likely to give them an outstanding advantage. I trust our military leaders to adjust their tactics accordingly and push these invaders back."

Whatever else he would have said got interrupted by someone addressing him over the frequency. "Yes, Scarlet? What is the status of the cannon? I see. Keep working on it. There should be some SOLDIER operatives there soon to assist with additional security."

"What is going on?" Hollander demanded, being the only one in the room other than Vincent without a communication transmitter.

"The Mako cannon is going to take time to power up," answered Rufus, "and they're having some technical difficulties with the targeting system."

"How long will it take to power up?" Vincent inquired.

"Thirty minutes, at least," Reeve grunted before the president could answer, having been listening to the communications channel himself at a low volume. "Longer if we're forced to employ the tower's other automated defenses."

"I've ordered them to delay use of the defense artillery until told otherwise by myself, Lazard or Sephiroth," explained Rufus. "That will come as a last resort, should the situation require it. Premature activation would mean the risk of hitting our own people."

"I can lend a hand with the targeting system, if they can't get it sorted out themselves," offered Reeve.

One of the defense panels slid down over a window and he looked over his shoulder at it with a raised brow. "Well, that's _one_ at least—but that still leaves nine for this room and however many there are left for this floor after that."

"Just do your best," encouraged Lazard. "Frankly, I'm beginning to wonder if the failure of the security panels on this level was deliberately orchestrated."

Reeve paused for a second, before frowning grimly. "The thought has crossed my mind, too. Why do you think I want to revise our communication methods?"

"If someone hacked the tower security system," Hollander reasoned, "then they could have conceivably sabotaged the Mako cannon as well."

"You're all being paranoid," Rufus insisted with irritation. "Small glitches occur all the time—especially when events force us to neglect proper maintenance on some things. What we have here is nothing more than a few hiccups in the system. If we were hacked, we wouldn't be able to power up the cannon and the defense system would go offline entirely. Otherwise what is the point?"

Reeve sucked his teeth and nodded. "I have to admit he's right. Unless this is just the beginning of a larger hacking effort, the panels and the glitchy targeting function are fairly minor."

Lazard took his glasses off and wiped the lenses with a soft cloth he kept in his suit pocket. "Then let's just concentrate on getting everything working properly, and hope our people in the city can beat these enemies back."

* * *

Angeal was just coming out of the locker room with his newly equipped materia bangle, when a young recruit came running at him in a panic. The boy waved his arms frantically to get his attention, though he was standing right in front of him.

"Lt. Hewley, Sir! There's been a breech in the facility!"

The crash that followed his announcement made the floor shake, and Angeal braced himself and steadied the recruit. He listened with a frown to the sounds of shouts, screams and combat coming from the exit wing. Whatever was attacking must be powerful, to put SOLDIER operatives on the defensive like this. He looked at the frightened young man and he gestured behind him.

"Go into the locker room and stay there until told otherwise," he instructed. "I'll deal with this."

The recruit nodded and did as he was told while Angeal readied his Buster Sword and jogged to the sound of combat. "This is Hewley," he reported over the SOLDIER frequency, "The barracks are under attack. I'm moving in to determine the severity of the situation now."

"I'm on my way in there now," Zack announced. "I got a pretty good look at the opposition and you've got one hell of a big dude in there, Ange. A few regular looking Deepground guys followed him in but I'm more worried about the big guy."

"Zack, why did you abandon your post?" Angeal said, his tone giving way to frustration.

"Lt. Fair, return to your post," ordered Sephiroth, "Hewley will call for backup if he needs it."

Zack didn't respond and Angeal imagined him sulking as he did as directed.

* * *

"Rosso was right," snarled Azul as he smashed the face in of another SOLDIER operative, "you wouldn't last a day in Deepground. So weak!"

He was enjoying the carnage, though. The ShinRa people thought they knew what to expect of them, but they couldn't be more wrong. Weiss was a genius, and so far his predictions of what their prey would do in response to the attack were dead on.

_"They'll try to protect their civilians, of course, but they'll concentrate their strongest forces to the protection of that cannon on the tower, the reactor that powers it and their air and naval units. This will give us the opportunity to collect more sacrifices, while they are distracted. Azul, I want you to strike where it will draw their attention, as soon as you're able. Hunt their SOLDIER operatives. Slaughter them. When they realize their strongest fighters are under direct attack, they'll rush to respond and leave themselves open. Do enough damage to get their attention and then get out to rejoin the main fighting forces."_

It was so simple, yet so devious. These pathetic humans were playing right into their hands, dividing their strongest fighters and leaving their weakest to the defend the civilian population. Nero should have no trouble rounding them up, with Shelke's tracking aid.

The Soldiers tried to put up a good fight against him, but most of them had been on their way out to comply with their orders and they were taken by surprise. Azul blasted a hole through one of them before his desperate charge could get anywhere near him. He caught the sword of another with his bare hand and grinned when the startled fighter realized he was impervious to the blade. He picked the sword up—with the SOLDIER operative still hanging onto it—and he threw the weapon and its owner down the corridor disdainfully. The hapless fighter crashed into a group of his companions and they all went down in a heap.

"Defend your honor," shouted another operative, saluting Azul with his sword. "As SOLDIER!"

This one's attacks actually managed to put Azul on the defensive. As he blocked the flurry of sword thrusts with his cannon and hands, he grudgingly admitted there was skill behind them. Sadly for the SOLDIER operative, there was no strength to go with it—not enough to break through Azul's protective barrier, anyway. Azul eventually caught the young man by the head and before he could retaliate, he ripped it right off of his shoulders. The other Soldiers yelled in protest when their companion's head rolled to their feet, helmet and all. Azul's bloodthirsty smile broadened as they began to fall back, evidently realizing they were no match for him. He advanced on them and they started firing their ranged weapons at him—to no avail.

He was looking forward to ripping them all into little pieces, but his plans were interrupted by the arrival of a powerfully built man in First Class garb. The sliding door to a separate sector opened and the First stepped through them, wielding a huge, bulky sword that no ordinary man could have possibly used in combat.

"Why don't you try that with me?" challenged the First grimly, his chiseled features cold with the promise of vengeance.

Azul bore his teeth at him in an excited smile. "Maybe I finally face a worthy opponent. Fight me, if you dare."

* * *

"Lt. Hewley, we're right behind you!"

Angeal glanced at the remaining group of operatives, taking note of their youth, their nervous but determined features and their uniforms. Three of them hadn't even earned a rank yet, lacking the telling glow in their eyes that would have marked them as fully Mako enhanced. They were just kids…barely into the program and probably only endowed with a couple of treatments. The rest were Thirds…little more than kids, themselves. Angeal looked at the bloody remains scattered throughout the corridor—pieces of the unfortunates who had already attempted to engage this monstrosity in combat. The Tsviet stood waiting for him to make the first move. How this encounter began was entirely up to Angeal. It wouldn't be honorable to gang up on him with others, when he'd presented a challenge to him.

He made the only choice that made sense to him. Angeal turned to his young charges, cowering at the security door behind him, and he gave them a grim, stern order.

"Make for the emergency exit to the sewers and meet up with your designated regiments. Seal all sectors behind you."

"But sir—"

"That's an _order_, Soldier!"

Angeal accentuated his point by punching the control panel to shut the sliding door. He drew the pistol he kept holstered at his thigh and shot the device, causing it to short-circuit and jam. Now the operatives on the other side couldn't interfere with the fight unless they blew the door open with an explosive. Satisfied that he'd done what he could to protect his young students from the threat, Angeal turned to face Azul and he gave him the SOLDIER salute—an outdated courtesy that only his personal trainees ever bothered with, anymore. He murmured his oath under his breath and prepared himself.

"I'm ready when you are, Tsviet."

* * *

"That's five down," Zack panted after skewering another attacker with his sword.

He grimaced as he pulled his blade free of the body and nudged the Deepground soldier with his boot. This one had been running on all fours like a beast, and it had a sword grafted into its spine. The mouth was abnormally huge in the masked face, and full of uneven rows of fangs. Despite the dire situation and his anger at these people for daring to attack helpless civilians and inexperienced newbies, Zack felt a moment of pity for this creature. It may have been one of the unwilling abductees, for all he knew. Not all of the Deepground forces were volunteers. Some were born into it and others were taken against their will.

"What the hell did they _do_ to you guys down there, buddy?"

A small group of Seconds came running toward him, and one of them stopped and saluted. "Lt. Fair, are we regrouping to drive the invaders from the barracks?"

"No," answered Zack. "You guys keep going to your posts and do what you're told when you get there. I'm going in by myself to help Lt. Hewley, if he needs it. How many more are in there?"

"We took care of the last of them, as far as I know," answered the Second, and his companions nodded. "There are reports of a really big one deeper inside, but Lt. Hewley has ordered all units to get out of the barracks and leave it to him."

"All right, thanks. Get out of here and leave it to us, man."

The Second-class operatives hesitated briefly, before nodding and saluting him. "Good luck, Zack!"

He smirked. "I make my own luck. You guys know that by now. Go kick some ass."

* * *

Angeal quickly learned that his opponent was impervious to his physical attacks—which left him no other choice but to use his materia against him. He activated a Regen spell as he rolled away from the huge fist punching out at him, all too aware of the damage a single hit from this man could do to him. He followed up by casting an Ice spell from a fully-grown materia, testing Azul's resistance. The Tsviet howled in discomfort when the freezing shards assaulted him, but he shattered them quickly and he charged at Angeal.

Angeal wasn't quite fast enough to avoid him and he gagged as the heavy body drove him against the side of the wall. The force of the impact was enough to cause cracks to spread out, and a piece of the ceiling came down to strike the oblivious Tsviet on his massive shoulder. Azule gripped Angeal's throat and began to squeeze, cutting off his air supply. The Regen spell was already healing the damage from the initial strike, but it couldn't provide the oxygen essential to his survival.

Angeal's Buster Sword clattered to the floor as he struggled against the brutal grip, muscles bulging with effort. He actually managed to pry some of Azul's fingers free and he kicked out at the snarling face with his boots. While the hit didn't damage the Tsviet, it provided enough of a distraction for Angeal to draw a ragged breath and clear his head. The Matra Magic spell he activated from his Enemy Skill materia provided a more solid distraction. Not even Azul the Cerulean could ignore a blast of mini rockets directly to the face, and though the attack was physical in nature and didn't cause any real damage, it made him drop Angeal and stagger away, rubbing at his eyes.

Thankful that he'd switched that materia from his sword to his bangle and aware that he only had moments to act, Angeal retrieved his sword and he made use of the Fire materia he had socketed in it. The explosion of heat evidently didn't cotton well with Azul, because he roared in fury and lifted his cannon to shoot the bothersome SOLDIER operative. Angeal dove away just as the weapon fired and a section of the wall behind him was obliterated by the blast. Azule moved with astonishing speed for a person of his size, charging at Angeal again while he was off balance. Angeal found himself picked up and tossed like he weighed nothing, and the only thing he could do was let his body go limp to avoid further damage as he collided with the steel reinforced security door.

Angeal groaned as he hit the floor, fighting to stay conscious. In hindsight, he should have grabbed his barrier materia when he was arranging it all, but he hadn't had the time to think it through very thoroughly. His opponent was closing in on him and he'd lost his grip on the Buster Sword. Blood trickled into his eye from a cut on his scalp as he struggled to get back to his feet, and he almost made it before a huge fist struck him in the ribs and knocked him backwards into the door again. Angeal instinctively struck back, and the punch he delivered would have surely knocked a normal man out—if it weren't absorbed by Azul's shield.

"You made me bleed," grunted the Tsviet, smearing a finger over the cut on his arm—caused by a shard of ice from Angeal's earlier elemental attack. "And you burned me." He touched the blistered flesh on the side of his face. "I'm almost impressed."

Angeal saw the next hit coming and he tried to dodge, but his legs weren't working right and the blow landed solidly. He fell to the floor, groaning. A huge boot planted down on the small of his back and it began to put crushing pressure on it. He struggled, knowing that his spine would soon crack under the weight if he didn't stop it. The effects of his Regen spell wore off and his injuries were severe.

"Too bad," Azul lamented. "I'll bet you would have made a good Deepground agent."

Angeal was sure he was going to die, but then an unexpected voice reached his ears.

"Get the hell off my mentor, you oversized freak."

The pressure stopped and Angeal lifted his head with difficulty, looking through matted, bloody hair at the man standing at the end of the hallway. He'd never seen Zack look so furious before, and despite the agony he was in, Angeal was touched. Feelings of brotherly love could wait, however.

"Zack, get out of here," he coughed. "Call for backup…he's too strong."

"I'm not going anywhere without you," insisted Zack stubbornly. He saluted Azul with his broadsword. "So I guess that means we're fighting." He activated his transmitter and spoke into it as he started to close in on the hulking Tsviet, keeping a wary eye out for openings.

"Gen, Seph, you might want to put someone else in charge for a little while and get to the barracks. Angeal and I have a situation and we need your help."

He frowned a second later. "Guys…do you copy?"

Azul gave him one of those predatory smiles and he left Angeal's side, closing in on the suddenly flustered young man. Zack started to back up, looking up at the yellow-eyed fiend as he tried to communicate with his comrades.

"Can _anyone_ copy me?" Zack demanded. "Dude, we're about to get sqashed!"

"Zackary," Angeal said, realizing the transmitter wasn't working. His own was lying broken on the floor, useless. "Just get…out of here. Run."

Zack compressed his lips and shook his head. "No way."

He yelled and charged at Azul then, ignoring Angeal's pleas. The big Tsviet started to swing out at him as he closed in, but Zack surprised him by diving and rolling between his legs, coming up behind him.

"He's impervious to physical attacks," yelled Angeal. He coughed up blood a second later.

"Yeah, I just figured that out," grunted Zack as the rapid blows of his sword threw sparks along Azul's back, but didn't penetrate. "Guess I'll have to improvise."

Angeal struggled for breath, intending to tell him not to waste time trying to take Azul out. If he could just wound him enough to slow him down, they could make it outside and seek out backup. Zack apparently had similar thoughts, because instead of using a harmful spell on his opponent, he opted for a hindrance instead. A black cloud settled over Azul's face and it wouldn't dissipate no matter how he swatted at it. Zack lunged past him and hurried to Angeal's side as the Deepground operative lumbered around, yelling in frustration.

"This won't stop me," promised Azul, "I can still smell you!"

"We can smell you too, pal," grunted Zack as he draped Angeal's arm around his shoulder, grabbed the Buster Sword and helped him to his feet. "I guess they don't have showers in Deepground. Come on, Angeal…now's our chance!"

* * *

"General, you may want to send someone to the SOLDIER barracks," Tseng's voice said over the transmission. "We have a good view from here and we've spotted agents Fair and Hewley stumbling out of there. Hewley looks badly injured."

Sephiroth frowned and he dispatched an attacker with startling ease and grace before responding. "Are they in combat?"

"Not that we can see," answered the Turk director, "It seems the SOLDIER forces have cleared all the opposition outside of the building."

"I'm on my way," Genesis' voice said, evidently having heard the situation.

"Negative," Sephiroth said. "Stay at your post, Lieutenant. I'll order a team to retrieve them and take them to—"

"If you expect me to comply with that order, you don't know me very well. I'll return to my post after I've seen our companions to the medical unit, and not before."

Sephiroth's mouth tensed—the only sign of his irritation. He knew it would do no good to argue with Genesis…not when the only person he admitted to giving a damn about was reportedly badly injured.

"Report their status immediately when you find them, and I expect you to return to your post the minute they're secure."

"Of course," came the answer.

Whether Genesis would make good on his promise or not was up for debate. Sephiroth took to the air and surveyed the situation, hastily swooping to the left when a missile came his way. He could see the Tsviet in charge of the ground forces pushing their way in and he narrowed his eyes on her. Taking out Rosso might tip the scales in their favor.

* * *

"He's stable," the medic assured Genesis and Zack some time later, after they got Angeal to the med level of the tower. "We have to set his ribs and check for any imbedded, foreign material before we make use of any potions or Cure materia. Healing his injuries won't avail us anything, if there's a piece of shrapnel close to a major organ."

Genesis nodded. "Do whatever you need to do. Failure isn't an option."

"Gen," admonished Zack in a whisper as the doctor paled. "You don't need to threaten the guy. Chill."

The doctor swallowed and gave Zack a thankful look. "We're doing everything we can for Lt. Hewley. Please excuse me while I oversee his care."

Zack nodded and watched the balding man go. He sighed and looked at his redheaded companion. The stillness of Genesis' features worried him. The sound of an explosion from somewhere outside in the city made Zack grimace, and he braced himself against the wall as the ground trembled.

"Hey, if you need to hit something, hit me. Don't take it out on the staff. We need them in one piece to fix Angeal."

Genesis kept staring at the door leading to the operating room, where they were working over Angeal. "Don't worry, I intend to save my wrath for the one that put him in there. Azul the Cerulean, wasn't it?"

"Uh, I'm pretty sure it was," answered Zack uncomfortably. "He matched the file description, anyhow. I haven't heard of any other nine-foot tall Tsviets."

Genesis nodded, apparently satisfied. "Stay here with him, Zack."

"Sure thing," agreed the brunet. "Kunsel has everything under control at the harbor and it doesn't look like they're interested in attacking there, anyhow. Are you going back to your post outside?" The last was said hopefully.

The hard heels of Genesis' combat boots tapped the floor with his measured steps as he walked away without looking back, drawing his crimson-bladed sword. "As far as you're concerned, yes."

Zack frowned at the puzzling response. "That's…not really an answer."

Genesis didn't stop or offer further commentary. He walked down the hall and through the double doors leading out of the medical ward, while Zack stood uncertain of what to do or say.

* * *

The blindness spell finally wore off, and Azul made his way out of the now abandoned SOLDIER barracks. He stepped over the bodies of lesser Deepground operatives and SOLDIER operatives alike, intending to meet up with his companions and prepare for the withdrawal. They hadn't reacted exactly the way Weiss expected them to, after all. Only two of the strong ones came to defend the barracks. Maybe his efforts helped the cause and maybe it didn't make much of a difference, but he'd enjoyed every minute of his part in this harvest. He regretted losing the opportunity to finish off the big Soldier and his smart-mouthed friend, but he knew he'd have another chance later, once their work paid off. The humans weren't going to go down without a fight, after all.

When he stepped outside to look around and plan his route, Azul found himself facing a very attractive young man with collar-length, layered auburn hair, Mako-bright aqua blue eyes and a lean, athletic build. He was dressed in black and red leather and he held an ornate red longsword in his right hand. The blade of the weapon glowed crimson and the man's other gloved hand was clenched into a fist. The aura of power around him told Azul that he was a First Class SOLDIER operative, and he mentally reviewed the information he'd been given and made a guess.

Genesis Rhapsodos was the only SOLDIER operative whose description matched this young man's appearance. That made him one of the only targets off-limits for killing. Weiss had plans to try and recruit him, eventually. His genetics were important to Deepground.

"Stay out of my way," advised Azul. "I'm not interested in killing you." He started to walk away to prove it.

"You aren't going anywhere," announced Genesis. Azul heard the flap of a huge wing and suddenly, the red-clad Soldier landed in front of him. The raven wing tucked back in and Genesis held his sword ready, his gaze challenging on the Tsviet.

Azul was annoyed, but not particularly worried. He'd already faced one First Class operative, and he wasn't that impressed. "What are you going to do to stop me, pretty boy?"

He started to shove Genesis out of the way, and the redhead attacked with lightning speed. Azul barely got the chance to register the attack before the Soldier's weapon struck his arm. The scintillating barrier flickered as the deadly sword scraped over the surface, and Azul was completely and utterly surprised when it penetrated. He felt the blade cut his skin as he drew back and he stared at Genesis with a fierce frown, lifting his cannon. That glow…maybe the sword had some magical properties that allowed it to penetrate his barrier.

"You nearly killed my conscience," Genesis informed him, advancing with easy grace and confidence. "I would not be you for all the world."

* * *

Sephiroth looked a bit worse for the wear as he walked into the boardroom. The right sleeve of his jacket had a big gash in it and there was blood seeping from the cut in his arm. He had another cut on his forehead and he limped slightly, favoring his left leg. He held something in his right hand and as the corporate heads watched, he dropped it on the table before Rufus.

Rufus stared at the object. Trying to ignore the blood pooling around it, he looked up at the general with all the calm he could muster. "And what is this?"

"The head of the Tsviet leading the charge at the upper city entrance," answered Sephiroth calmly. "You did say you wanted it."

Rufus swallowed and beside him, Lazard put a hand over his mouth and looked away. Yes, he'd told Sephiroth he wanted the heads of the Deepground leaders, but he certainly hadn't expected to see Rosso the Crimson's dropped on his table.

"I…see. In the future, General, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from dropping body parts on my table like a cat bringing home a trophy kill."

Sephiroth smirked dryly and looked to the window, where the darkening sky could be seen. "Why haven't the rest of those panels dropped?"

"They've malfunctioned," answered Reeve with a sigh. "I've worked on the control panel but there seems to be a short circuit, and I can't do much with dead wires."

"What is the status on the cannon?" Sephiroth asked, turning to Rufus again.

"Power generation is at ninety-five percent," answered the president. "It should be ready to fire within the next ten minutes."

"And the targeting function?"

"_That_ I did manage to fix," answered Reeve. "She's good to go."

Sephiroth nodded. "You have the coordinates. The upper city entrance is now secure and I've stationed troops to guard it until Deepground has fully retreated."

"What's Hewley's status?" asked Lazard.

"He's stable, and according to Lt. Fair, they'll be using Cure magic on him soon. The doctors are confident that his injuries weren't severe enough to cause disability, and they say he should recover his full strength with enough rest."

Rufus propped his elbows on the table and threaded his fingers together. "The Turks and Captain Highwind have reported that they've driven back the Deepground air attackers, but reports from the ground troops aren't as positive. Hundreds of civilians have been lost during this attack."

"'_Lost'_ how?" queried the general. "Was it friendly fire, or did the enemy get past your militia to take them?"

"We don't know," answered Lazard. "There were reports of the same phenomenon that occurred when people began to disappear from Junon before. According to the witnesses, people seemed to get swallowed up by blackness."

"One of the Tsviets reportedly has the ability to create trans-dimensional portals," Hollander said.

"Nero the Sable," Rufus said, recognizing the information. "He's Weiss' brother, isn't he?"

"Yes," agreed Hollander, "and it's possible that he's teleporting these civilians directly to Midgar, if he's responsible for these instances."

"But there haven't been any sightings of him," Lazard pointed out, "and given our description, I'm sure someone would have noticed him."

"The man has powers over darkness," Rufus said in irritated tones. "I'm sure he has ways of hiding himself from view."

"Whatever the case may be," Reeve said, "it appears that most of the Deepground forces are withdrawing. Am I the only one that finds that disturbing?"

"You _want_ them to keep attacking?" Rufus lifted a brow.

"No, but I expected a lot more fight out of them," Reeve snapped back. "These people are super enhanced Soldiers with a giant chip on their shoulder against humanity. Why would they mount a full-scale attack on the only ShinRa city as powerful as Midgar, if they didn't intend to level the place? The harbor, the tower, the reactor…none of it got touched and they could have taken the city if they had gained control of two or more of those. They didn't even make it far into the city, except to attack the SOLDIER barracks. Something doesn't add up. They're giving up too easily."

"Maybe capturing the city wasn't their goal," reasoned Vincent. He walked over to the window and gazed down at the city. "They came for sacrifices. They have the protomateria. They're close to fulfilling their ultimate goal."

"And they've already culled the other towns close to Midgar," sighed Lazard. His gaze went to the bloody trophy still sitting on the table and he shuddered involuntarily. "This is just going to happen again, until they raise Omega or we stop them for good."

"When the cannon is powered up, fire on their forces outside the city," suggested Sephiroth. "The blast should take out a significant number of them and they'll need to recover from their losses, before attempting anything like this again."

"Wait." Reeve frowned as a thought occurred to him. "If we fire on the retreating Deepground forces, won't we _also_ be firing on the civilians they rounded up in Lower Junon?"

Rufus and Lazard looked at each other. The president spoke in a calm tone. "They'll be unfortunate casualties. Perhaps this is a better death than what awaits them at Midgar."

Reeve's jaw dropped. "You're talking about firing on your own citizens! I can't believe I'm _hearing_ this!"

Vincent walked over to him and put a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Without rescue, they'll die anyway. If that happens by Deepground's hands, Omega may rise."

"So we sacrifice them before Deepground can?" Reeve pushed his fingers through his hair and shook his head. "It's madness."

"Their forces are too great for our army to take them on out in the open," Sephiroth reasoned. "Otherwise I would coordinate a rescue attempt. We're lucky they didn't push harder to overtake this city."

"The fact that we're having this debate explains why they never tried to at least take this tower," Lazard said thoughtfully, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm sure they're counting on us being unwilling to use the Mako cannon on them if we could hit our own people in the process."

"Tuesti, we have to choose between the lives of a few hundred people, or the lives of millions," Rufus said sternly. "As Valentine said; if they get those people back to Midgar and sacrifice them, it could be enough to make the planet release Omega. Morals won't mean a damned thing if the end of the world comes."

Reeve sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes. "I can't believe this…I don't think I'm ever going to sleep again, if we go through with this plan."

"It's out of your hands," Sephiroth told him. "Take some comfort in that. What you should be doing is working on getting those security panels to activate, just in case. We have to assume they could regroup for another attack. That's how sieges typically work."

Reeve nodded in agreement and he went over to the control panel on the wall to give it another try. Sephiroth watched him for a moment before giving a nod to Rufus and Lazard. "I'll go and assist with any cleanups in progress. Notify me when you're ready to fire the cannon."

He started to walk to the door, but Rufus stopped him. "General, would you mind taking that with you?" He nodded meaningfully at the woman's head lying sideways on the table.

Sephiroth turned, looked at it, and shrugged. He approached the table and he picked up the head by the blood-matted auburn hair. Rosso the Crimson had died as she'd lived: bathed in blood.

* * *

"Just stop fooling with that," Rufus demanded of Reeve once the general was gone. He walked over to one of the windows and looked out for a moment, before turning his back on it. "As I've said before; this glass is shatter resistant."

Reeve looked up from his task and prepared to remind the man that they weren't dealing with ordinary troops. His words lodged in his throat and his brows drew down as he stared out the window beyond the president's shoulder.

"What?" snapped Rufus. "Your dramatics are starting to annoy me."

Reeve had no words for what he saw, and the way the others froze when they looked too was proof that he wasn't the only one. Outside in the air, with the setting sun back-dropping him, was Genesis Rhapsodos…and he was carrying a gigantic Deepground operative by the straps on his body armor. He was closing in on the tower with alarming speed, and he appeared to be exchanging words with his passenger.

"I'd move, if I were you," Reeve said, finally locating his tongue.

* * *

"Threatening to drop me because I beat up your boyfriend?" Azul taunted the infuriated SOLDIER operative carrying him. "Go ahead. I've fallen from bigger heights without a scratch!"

"Actually, I have a different plan in mind," explained Genesis. He grunted with effort and nodded at the Junon cannon, high above the city. "You see it up there? It's nearly at full power. Let's see how you survive being shot out of a Mako cannon."

Azul began to struggle, then. Genesis smirked at him. "Not so eager to try it? You certainly look the part of a circus freak. Why not participate in a time honored tradition?"

"You're one of us," Azul shouted. "You should be fighting with us, not defending _them_!"

"I am _nothing_ like you," promised Genesis, "and I'll thank you to remember that, when you're shooting through the air at your fellows. I—"

Genesis' grip on the hulking man suddenly slipped, and he forgot what he was going to say as Azul went hurtling directly toward the uncovered windows of the upper floors of the Junon tower.

"Shit."

* * *

Rufus turned to see what everyone was staring at and it took his brain a second to register what his eyes saw. There was a very big man flying through the air on a collision course with the window, but he didn't appear to have a jet pack or wings. His unexplained flight didn't seem to be of his own doing, either. The expression on his face said so. Time seemed to slow down and all Rufus could think of was that he recognized the man from the phone recording Sephiroth showed to them after the cleanup crew went missing.

Someone plowed into Rufus and knocked him to the floor, just as the hapless Tsviet struck the glass. Despite Rufus' earlier insistence that the windows were highly unlikely to break, they did. The Tsviet smashed through two of them and landed on the table, knocking it over to fall on its side. Rufus looked up warily, grunting at the weight on top of him. He twisted and discovered that his unexpected benefactor was his own half-brother. He pushed Lazard off of him roughly and reached for his gun as their uninvited guest groaned and began to get to his feet.

Vincent fired a round of bullets at Azul, calling out and advisory to the rest of them that they should leave while they could. Reeve of course refused and he started to shoot at the Tsviet as well. Hollander was out the door and in the hallway before Azul even finished getting to his feet.

Angered by the bullets striking his shield, Azul closed in on Vincent and knocked him across the room before he could dodge. Rufus winced as the gunman hit the wall hard enough to leave a cracked impression in it, and he expected Valentine to die very soon as the Tsviet followed him with a murderous look on his face. He began to fire at Azul, and so did Lazard. The Deepground operative turned to look at them with a snarl, and then something happened that had Rufus dumbstruck.

Vincent Valentine transformed into a demon, right before everyone's eyes. What happened next made Sephiroth's beheading of the female Tsviet pale in comparison. Azul went still and made a gurgling sound. There was a rending sound, and the demon's golden-gauntlet punched through the back of Azul's uniform, tearing the fabric of it. The Tsviet staggered on his feet as the demon withdrew the gauntlet, and a pool of blood spread on the floor beneath his feet. Azul fell to the floor and Chaos stood over him, holding his still beating heart in his bloodied gauntlet.

Genesis Rhapsodos flew in from the window at that moment and upon seeing what Chaos had done, he looked at him and sputtered a protest, not seeming to care that he was addressing the harbinger of the apocalypse.

"You stole my kill."

* * *

-To be continued


	22. Chapter 22

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter twenty-two: Matching sets

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**_This chapter has been censored to comply with this site's content restrictions. The complete chapter is available for viewing at Adult Fanfiction dot net, Y!gallery, and Archive of our own._

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters._**

* * *

"You stole my kill."

The accusation, uttered with such sincere umbrage, was the last thing anyone expected out of Genesis' mouth when he looked at the tall form of Chaos. He seemed barely phased by the demon's appearance, in fact. Chaos stared back at him in the manner of someone who wasn't used to being challenged. The room was utterly silent, but for the crunch of glass underfoot. The situation was so bizarre and Genesis' reaction was so inappropriate, Reeve blurted a hysterical laugh before he could stop himself.

"Excuse me," he said as Chaos and Genesis both looked at him. He cleared his throat. "That was…rude."

"What is this place?" demanded Chaos in a deep, resonant voice.

"ShinRa tower, in Junon," answered Rufus carefully. "You're Chaos?"

"I am," answered the demon. "I was. What is this creature at my feet?"

His words were confusing, but then, Chaos seemed to be confused himself. Reeve answered him as best he could. "That is…or _was_ a Tsviet. They're top ranking members of Deepground, an army of super humans created by the former president Shinra."

"I understand nothing of what you just said," admitted Chaos. He narrowed his amber gaze on Genesis, who was glaring at him still. "Why do you stare as if you would challenge me, mortal?"

"I just told you," Genesis answered, gesturing at the massive body lying on the floor. "you took my kill."

Chaos' wings spread slowly and his cold gaze intensified on the Soldier. Reeve hastily intervened, stepping between the two of them. "Everyone just calm down. Genesis, put that sword away. Chaos, please allow me to explain the situation."

"I don't care what the situation is," informed Chaos. "You're all merely souls to be harvested, to me. Prepare for…for…"

Chaos wavered and a troubled expression crossed his marble features. He looked at Reeve. "I feel…what the host feels. This cannot be."

"Er, why don't you sit down," offered Reeve solicitously as the others gaped. "Lazard, can you roll that chair this way?"

The director wordlessly obliged, giving one of the few still upright office chairs a push. He stared at Chaos through smudged glasses, his aristocratically handsome features blank with awe. Reeve caught the chair and he urged Chaos to sit in it, very much aware that what he was doing was essentially the same as sticking his head into a lion's mouth.

"Here," he said. "Please. I know you're disoriented and I would like to help. You've been dormant for some time, and it must be a shock to wake up in a world like this."

Rufus blinked at the engineer. "Tell me you aren't seriously thinking of negotiating with this creature."

"I don't need to sit," Chaos said at the same time.

Reeve put a hand to his brow and rubbed the spot, feeling a headache coming on. "Fine. President Shinra, I won't negotiate with him. We can just let him suck us dry of spirit energy and bring about Omega faster. Chaos, if you want to kill us, just do it. We can't stop you."

"I beg to differ," Genesis said, raising his sword again.

Chaos looked as though he might decide to make good on his threat against the redhead, but he staggered again and he seemed to shrink in on himself. Reeve breathed a sigh of relief when Vincent returned. He helped the gunman into the chair when he saw how unsteady he was on his feet.

"Did I…did _he_ harm anyone?" Vincent asked groggily.

"Just the Tsviet on the floor," assured Reeve. "I think we might be able to reason with him, eventually."

Vincent looked at Azul's corpse, a brief expression of surprise crossing his pale features. His red eyes were troubled beneath the bandanna around his head. "Reeve, don't try to humanize this creature. He considers himself above us and to him, it would be like a fox negotiating with a hen. It isn't going to happen."

"Well, I don't see what else we can do," sighed Reeve. "You can't control when he makes his appearances and if you can't make him retreat when he does, we need to be on his good side."

"What makes you think it _has_ a good side?" Genesis asked. "Chaos exists to reap souls for the Lifestream, or feed on their energy when he's feeling peckish. I doubt you'll garnish any sympathy from him for our cause."

"Maybe not, but I have to try," Reeve insisted stubbornly. "Everyone saw what he just did. He punched through that Tsviet's chest like it was made of paper Mache. It's in our best interest to make nice with this being. The next time he comes out, I'm going to take the route of the diplomat and hope to Gaia he'll listen to me."

Genesis shrugged. "Suit yourself." He nudged the body with his boot and sighed. "So much for a lover's vengeance."

* * *

The Deepground forces began to retreat and Rufus stuck to the plan he'd made with Sephiroth, despite Reeve's weak protests. Within the ranks of the enemy, Nero saw the danger and he acted quickly, dedicated wholeheartedly to the cause. His dark powers encased the transports containing the prisoners and he teleported them and himself out of danger. The white-hot energy blast from the cannon struck the Deepground army, blowing away half their ranks in one hit. The attack was devastating, but what ShinRa Inc. did not understand was the depth of Deepground's resolve and their willingness to sacrifice their own lives for their cause. The loss of soldiers didn't hurt them as bad as their opponents hoped, because they were so close to reaching their goal, the size of their army soon wouldn't matter.

Nero arrived at his intended location of Egress, along with close to two hundred new prisoners for the cause. He instructed the Deepground operatives he'd managed to transport with them to take the prisoners down below to the culling chambers, where they would await their final destiny with over three hundred others collected over the past week.

"When will we sacrifice them?" asked a female trooper, "and what about the rest of our army?"

"Those who survive ShinRa's attack will return home," answered Nero impassively, speaking around the metal strips crossing over his face. "As for your other inquiry, Weiss will decide when we've collected enough for another culling. Take them below, as you've been told."

The woman nodded with respect, visibly wary of him. "Yes, Nero."

His red, slit-pupiled eyes glanced around and settled on a young girl stepping out of one of the air transports that made it back with him. "Come, little empty one. You have more work to do."

The girl obediently followed him, eyes downcast as she walked to the Deepground entrance and went inside together. The primary lift was fully functioning now and they took it down to the lower city, hidden far below Midgar. The cavernous city could have resembled Kalm at a glance, but for the bulkier military buildings factories and the reactor in the center. Nero and his companion went to the large military base near the reactor and the guards allowed them to pass without question, not daring to ask Nero how the big Junon raid went.

They arrived in Weiss' chambers moments later, in the very control room where the Restrictors used to operate from. The girl hung back while Nero approached his brother. Weiss sat in his "throne"; the bulky, mechanized chair before the mainframe. He turned it around to face Nero when the other Tsviet offered a soft greeting.

"Welcome back, Brother," Weiss greeted. Through the spiked silver locks half-covering his face, he looked at Nero and his icy blue eyes scanning the raven-haired man for injury. "You're returned sooner than expected. The information I've received indicates we suffered heavy losses."

Nero went to one knee before him, regarding him with adulation and loyalty he felt for no other living being. "Our people did their jobs well, Brother. We collected most of the lower city before ShinRa even knew we were attacking, and they are now being transported to the culling chambers. Unfortunately, we misjudged how the humans would behave. As you can see, they weren't as reluctant to fire on their own citizens as we predicted."

"I can applaud their ruthlessness, if nothing else," answered Weiss. "A shame it won't help them. What of the other Tsviets sent with you on the mission?"

"Rosso fell in combat," answered Nero, bowing his head in humble apology. "I saw it happen. The silver one…their General…he took her head. It happened before I could intervene."

"Sephiroth," identified Weiss, his mouth curving into a cold smile. "It was a good death for her…one I'm sure she approved of in the end. When I rid myself of this illness sapping my strength, I would enjoy testing my skills against her killer. Pity he won't be around for me to do so."

"Yes, Weiss."

Weiss looked at the girl standing quietly by the door. "And the others? Is this one all that remains?"

"I'm…not certain of that," answered Nero. "The last I saw of Azul, he was in a confrontation with the G-cell carrier…the SOLDIER in red. I presume he attempted to subdue him, to bring him in. We know how important it is to you that he join our cause, before it's too late for him."

Weiss shrugged. "That doesn't matter much, anymore. This world will be cleansed and we no longer need him. He would have made a nice replacement for Rosso, but if Azul failed to capture him, it isn't worth further effort."

"Then we assume Azul is dead, since he hasn't reported in since his attack on the SOLDIER barracks?"

"Yes," agreed Weiss. He looked at the girl again, his eyes narrowing with disdain. "Have her perform a net dive as soon as she's ready. We're getting closer to finding my cure, and I'm tired of this weakness."

"Of course, Brother."

When he led the rebellion against the Restrictors, Weiss triggered a failsafe that none of them knew about, and it released a virus into his system via the control chip he'd reprogrammed. None of the other Tsviets or Deepground operatives suffered the same fate, so it was presumed that whoever was responsible for it knew that some day, Weiss would be the one to rise up. It was clearly intended to kill him, but he was too strong for that. Instead, it weakened him to a near-human state and Nero had been acting in his stead ever since. Weiss' attempt to find a cure through his SND ability resulted in an encounter with a sentient, artificial intelligence.

Nobody save Weiss knew the details of that virtual encounter, but when he came out of it, Weiss had a plan. He explained what he'd learned while in his net dive, and he promised a new age for Deepground, once they awoke Omega. Weiss lost his ability to net dive after that—which was why they'd been relying on the girl ever since.

Nero looked up at the older sibling with a fierce kind of determination. "We'll rid you of this virus. You will be whole again, and stronger than ever."

That confident, half-wild grin curved Weiss' mouth again, and he reached out to stroke Nero's long, sable hair. "Yes I will, Brother. Yes I will."

* * *

"It was a direct hit," Scarlet reported, "but there was a complication."

Rufus frowned at her. "What sort of complication?"

She sighed and checked the data again. "There was an energy surge just before the blast. The same darkness that we've come to associate with vanishing civilians engulfed all of the transport rovers, and they disappeared. We suspect the captured citizens were in those rovers."

"So that means they have them," he sighed. "And they'll slaughter them at the earliest convenience. Damn it." He curled his hand into a fist and he punched the surface of his desk, at the end of his rope.

Scarlet leaned over the desk, and it was doubtful that she wasn't aware of how she was displaying her cleavage to his view. "So what do we do now, Rufus? The clock is ticking."

"We were prepared to move in on Midgar in the first place," he reasoned, "but the attack on Junon depleted some of our forces and resources, and one of our top SOLDIER operatives is in no condition to go on a campaign, right now. We'll need a couple of days to regroup."

"In a couple of days, they could reach their soul quota and raise Omega," she pointed out. She sat down on the edge of the desk and crossed long legs, revealing them through the slit in her dress. "Are you sure you want to take that chance?"

Rufus' blue-gray eyes lingered on her bare legs for a moment before he looked up at her face and answered. "They're going to slaughter those people no matter how soon we move out. Even if we left for Midgar this very moment, we wouldn't make it in time to stop them. All we can do now is hope those civilians aren't enough to finish the job. If they have to hunt down more victims, it gives us more time to stop them."

She nodded in agreement, offering no argument or protest to his logic. That was one of the reasons Rufus kept her around: her ability to see the bigger picture. Scarlet might be a stone cold bitch, but she got things done without agonizing over the morality of everything she did. She was exactly the sort of partner he needed to run his company, even if she made him want to slap her, at times.

* * *

Genesis' feet dragged as he walked the halls of the tower to the sleeping quarters that he and Angeal had been sharing since evacuating to Junon. He hadn't even bothered putting his wing away and though he expected negative reactions from the people he passed on the street, he was surprised to get nods of respect and even some "thank you's" from them. Children seemed more fascinated than frightened by the sight of his wing, and he had to turn down the not-so-subtle advances of a pretty young woman who confessed to him that she thought he was the most beautiful man in the world.

The unexpected change in the way civilians regarded him and his fellow winged officers was a puzzle he could sort out another time. The city was safe, Angeal was recovering in the hospital and so far, Omega hadn't risen yet. It was good enough for Genesis, and he planned to go and visit Angeal at the medical ward as soon as he had a shower and a nap. He looked up as he approached the door and he stopped in his tracks when he saw Angeal standing there, sliding his keycard into the security panel. The Buster Sword was leaning against the wall by the door.

The big man sensed his gaze on him as the door unlocked and he looked up from the control panel, meeting Genesis' eyes across the distance. Angeal gave him that quiet, somewhat shy smile that always seemed reserved for Genesis alone, and he shrugged broad shoulders.

"They released me after using the Cure materia on me," explained Angeal. "It took some work, but I eventually convinced them that I'd recover best in my own quarters, without nurses constantly waking me up to check in on me. I think I'm getting better at negotiating."

Genesis was treated to the interesting dilemma of wanting to express his relief that Angeal was safe and wanting to avoid making a scene, at the same time. His eyes roved over his companion as he approached, taking note of the slight pallor in Angeal's complexion and the tired look in his eyes. They'd had to open him up to stop some internal bleeding before using the Cure materia, and Genesis truly feared he might die on the operating table.

"You aren't going to try and talk me into going back to the medical ward, are you?" Angeal regarded him with uncertain blue eyes as Genesis approached him wordlessly. "You know how I hate hospitals. Gen? Are you going to say something?"

Genesis had no words to give him. Instead, he grabbed a handful of the t-shirt Angeal was wearing, he picked up the Buster Sword and he half-dragged the bigger man through the open door of their sleeping quarters. Angeal staggered a little with surprise, but he obligingly followed the redhead. Once they were inside, Genesis shut the door, rested Angeal's sword against the wall and removed his own weapon to lay it beside it. He pushed Angeal against the closed door and he closed the distance between their lips. He kissed him deeply, passionately and thoroughly, conveying all the emotions in his kiss that he couldn't put into words.

The questioning sound Angeal made in his throat soon died off, to be replaced by a groan of desire. The usual sense of smug satisfaction from provoking such a reaction wasn't there for Genesis, this time. He just wanted to bask in Angeal…to worship him as a god and appreciate every steely inch of his magnificent physique. He broke the kiss and he grabbed a handful of Angeal's hair to gently tug it, urging him to tilt his head back. When he complied, Genesis kissed his throat, running his tongue over the Adam's apple before tracing the lines of his clavicle with the tip of it.

"Are you strong enough for this?" Genesis murmured against the other man's skin, reminding himself that Angeal was recovering from serious injuries. Despite the games they played sometimes, he didn't want to hurt him in his passion.

"I'd tell you I am even if I weren't," admitted Angeal huskily. "You've gotten me too excited to say 'no'."

Genesis smirked and brushed his lips back and forth over the taller man's jaw. "Then you'd better relax and let me do all the work. We can't have you straining yourself."

He followed up the statement by grabbing hold of Angeal's shirt again and pulling him away from the door, toward the bed. He turned him around and gave him a shove, his eyes flashing with lust. Angeal obligingly fell back onto the bed and stared up at him as Genesis climbed on top of him and straddled his hips. The redhead lowered his mouth to Angeal's to kiss him again. He rubbed against him sensually with a faint creak of leather, and Angeal's hands settled on his ass. The crotch of his cargo pants strained with his arousal, and Genesis rubbed his bulge against it, purring in his throat.

"One day, you'll be the death of me," predicted Angeal breathlessly when Genesis broke the kiss again and started pulling his t-shirt up. He raised his arms over his head to allow the redhead to pull the garment off, and he gazed up at him with smoky blue eyes.

Genesis took a moment to admire the sight of Angeal's bared chest and stomach after tossing the shirt to the floor. He tugged his gloves off with his teeth and dropped them on top of the garment before running his hands over the broad, muscular chest. He shifted on top of him and bit his lower lip as the friction made him ache with need.

"I'll try not to be too vigorous, while you're in such a breakable state," promised Genesis breathlessly.

* * *

The next morning:

"I can't believe you're doing this," complained Reeve as he escorted his friend to the holding cell. "Vincent—"

"Reeve, shut up."

The commissioner stopped in his tracks and gave Vincent an openly offended look. "You don't have to bite my head off. I'm just trying to be your friend, Vincent."

"I'm not the one that would bite your head off," reminded the gunman, though his gaze softened on Reeve, "and I know you want to help, but you can't. If you want to make me happy, then see me to my cell, make sure it locks securely and assign guards when you leave. Protect yourself. _That_ would make me happy."

Reeve sighed. It was a wonder he was able to convince the president and Lazard to allow him to escort Vincent to his cell, instead of Sephiroth and a group of armed SOLDIER operatives. He ran his fingers through his hair and he looked at Vincent helplessly.

"I know it sounds childish, but this just isn't fair."

Vincent's mouth quirked in what almost became a smile. "I appreciate your support, and how bravely you faced Chaos. This isn't about what's fair though…it's about what's safe. You can't put my comfort above the safety and survival of billions, my friend."

"Don't remind me," groused Reeve. "Well, let's get you locked up, then. I'm still doing this under protest, but I'm outnumbered."

Reeve noticed then that Vincent was no longer in step with him. He turned with the realization that the other man had fallen behind and he looked at him with concern. Vincent was holding his golden gauntlet over his heart as if his chest pained him, and he leaned against the wall.

"Vincent, what's the matter?" Reeve approached him and he reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. He looked like he might be having a heart attack or something, but that shouldn't be possible. Even though Vincent was in his fifties now, his body hadn't aged beyond his twenties.

"Talk to me," urged Reeve, feeling a chill creeping over him. "Do I need to call for a medic?"

Vincent shook his head, his raven hair falling over his eyes with the motion. He looked at Reeve with an expression of pain and alarm on his pallid features, and his eyes glowed amber instead of their normal shade of crimson. Reeve's eyes went to the gauntlet clutching Vincent's chest and he remembered that was where the protomateria once was—before Rosso the Crimson cut it out of his chest.

"Run," warned Vincent. "Bring guards…bring SOLDIER. Get out, Reeve!"

His voice ended in a tortured yell that had some of the other prisoners clamoring to their cells' tiny windows, trying to see what was happening. Reeve cast an alarmed look around and he started to do as Vincent told and reach for his phone, but he changed his mind and shook his head. A guard came around the corner and asked what was going on. Thinking quickly, Reeve improvised.

"My friend and I were just having a bit of a disagreement. We're fine. Carry on with your duties."

The young man looked dubious, but he knew Reeve and he respected his authority. He told him to call if he needed anything and he returned from the corridor he'd come from to finish his rounds.

"Reeve…you fool," Vincent groaned, his canines elongating. His voice was weak from the pain of trying to hold back his alter-ego, else he might have called the guard back himself.

Reeve faced him calmly, though the sight of his suffering hurt the engineer's heart. "You have to trust me, Vincent. This is our chance to find out if it's possible to negotiate with Chaos. Let me do this."

"Not here," growled Vincent. "Take me to my cell first!"

"Let's go," agreed Reeve, putting an arm around Vincent's tall, lean form to help him along. "I'm glad you're agreeing to this."

"I'm not," corrected Vincent in a strained whisper. "But I can't hold him back."

* * *

He pushed aside his bothersome host, finally forcing him to relinquish control of the body they shared. Chaos stepped through the veil and he stretched his wings as he manifested. He could feel Vincent's anxiety and anger, but it was unimportant to him. He had begun to recall the moment when his essence was fused with Vincent's, as well as the moment when the protomateria trapped him inside the gunman's body. Perhaps Vincent was no longer mortal, but he still had a human heart and it was interfering with Chaos' nature, affecting his judgment and making him feel things he shouldn't be feeling.

~Yes, I know your frustration. I have been watching as if in a dream, and being powerless to act is an insult. Now you know my torment, Vincent.~

He ignored the protest he felt from the gunman and he focused his borrowed eyes, seeing his surrounding with senses beyond a human's simple optical capabilities. His gaze settled on a familiar man in a dark blue suit, with a stylishly trimmed beard and mustache. The human regarded him with faintly worried brown eyes, and that confused Chaos. He should be trembling with fear, not regarding him like he was an injured human.

"You are either very brave, or very foolish," Chaos remarked, trying to get his bearings.

The man interested him, however, so he made no threatening moves and waited to see what he would do. His face was mature but not old, handsome and intelligent…pleasing to the eyes. His rich brown hair looked more groomed than it had the last time Chaos saw him, and it framed his face and fell to his collar in the back in an appealing way.

"I've been hearing that observation a lot, lately," said the man. He kept his distance—which proved he was at least smart enough to respect what Chaos could do to him if he chose. "Do you know where you are now?"

Chaos looked around and he scowled as he made an educated guess. "A prison. Do you think it can hold me? Do you believe _anything_ can hold me?"

"Now just wait a minute," said the human, backing up as Chaos began to advance on him. His back pressed against the cell door and he glanced over his shoulder at it before holding both hands up in a pacifying gesture. "I'm not _trying_ to hold you here. I just want to talk in private, and this was the closest place we could go without drawing undue attention."

"How gullible and foolish you must think me," growled Chaos, losing patience.

He towered over the man, baring his fangs and spreading his wings. He would feed on this man. He would slake his thirst for spirit energy, and then he would decide if the insult was great enough to finish him off.

"I don't think you're foolish," argued the human, "and I don't think you're gullible. I _do_ think you'll be making a mistake if you don't hear me out, though. Read my spirit, if you don't believe I'm sincere. You can do that, can't you? Read mine and learn about everything that's been happening in the world while you've slept. Once you're up to date, if you still want to rip my head off and go on an eating binge, I can't stop you."

Chaos stopped and stared down at him, tilting his black and red spiked head to the side thoughtfully. No mortal had ever opened up to him like this before, but this one did so willingly. Even more intrigued than before, he took the offer and held the man's gaze. He saw his soul shining in his velvety brown eyes and he gathered insight from it, reading it the way humans might read a book. He understood that this man was a maker…a creator…an inventor. He saw the wars of the past, the building of the Mako reactors, the discovery of Deepground. He even saw this man's first meeting with the Host, when he was in Nibelheim on business and stumbled across Vincent's coffin in the basement of the mansion.

"Engineer," Chaos finally said, after taking what information he needed from the human. Some of it was naturally closed off to him, but some resistance was expected and the demon wasn't at full strength. "You create things…things like those structures that drink the lifeblood of Gaia, depleting it."

The grimace on the man's handsome face indicated that he understood what he was talking about. "The Mako reactors, yes. We've only recently begun to understand the consequences of harvesting the Lifestream, and I'm sorry for my part in it."

"You seek alternative energy sources," murmured the demon, "new ways to create your own energy, without leeching off the planet."

"That's what some of us hope to do, yes," agreed the human, "but it's going to take time. We've made a lot of progress, though. I have people working on the reactor now and if the changes we're making are a success, it will produce twice as much energy at half the Mako cost."

Chaos' face was impassive. "I understood none of that, Engineer."

"If my plan works, we'll be sucking less life out of the planet within a month," translated the human, "and my name is Reeve. Reeve Tuesti."

"I know," answered Chaos. "I learned your name when I read your spirit."

"Oh, well there you go. So, do you understand what's happening, Chaos?"

"The tainted ones wish to unleash the guardian of the Lifestream," answered Chaos with a graceful shrug. "Should they succeed, it is my duty to assist in the harvest. You know this, though."

"Yes, but this won't be a natural event," explained Reeve. "If Omega ascends, it will be because these 'tainted ones'. They're deliberately trying to trick the planet into releasing its final guardian, Chaos. Not only that, but they've taken the protomateria. It was what allowed Vincent to keep you dormant for all these years, while you've been living inside of him."

"I know of the protomateria," assured Chaos with a grim frown.

"Then you know that it could be used to control Omega," answered Reeve. "What Deepground is trying to do can't be categorized as a natural event. They're manipulating the planet and if they succeed, they'll also manipulate Omega to get what they want. If you help them, that makes you their patsy."

"Patsy." Chaos tilted his head curiously.

"A scapegoat," elaborated Reeve, "A red herring. A drug mule. It means they'll be manipulating you, too."

"No mortal can manipulate me." Chaos scowled at him. "I am the harbinger of Omega."

"I understand that," assured the human, "but still, if you perform your…traditional…task after these people unleash Omega, you won't be working for Gaia at all. You'll be working for Deepground, doing their bidding to bring about an event _they_ have orchestrated…_not_ the planet."

"I sense _you_ are trying to manipulate me right now," observed Chaos in a warning tone.

"No," denied the human with a shake of his head. "I'm just trying to reason with you. I'm presenting my case and you can weigh it against what you already know. I can't make you choose to stand with us or against us. That's your decision, and I understand that."

Chaos looked him up and down, sensing his dread, his hope and his determination. "What makes you believe I care about the fate of humanity, engineer?"

"I'm sure you don't," answered the man, "because you believe a new world will be created to replace the old, once you and Omega finish your tasks. Am I right?"

"Your kind will be reborn, yes," agreed the demon, "and that makes those of you here now expendable."

Reeve went silent for a moment, and Chaos could see him working things out in his head. "Why did you stop feeding on the Tsviet yesterday?"

Chaos stared at him, wondering how he could have possibly detected something that only lasted for two seconds, at most, before he tore the creature's heart out.

"I'm fairly sure he couldn't have stopped you from draining him dry, if you wanted to," the engineer went on, "and yet, you killed him—quickly, I might add—and you had this peculiar grimace on your face as he fell."

"His spirit was fouled," obliged Chaos, seeing no reason to deny it. "Sullied and poisoned by something not of this world."

"And the redhead that challenged you afterwards," pressed Reeve. "Did you sense the same corruption in him?"

The demon's curiosity was piqued again. "To a lesser extent, yes, but there was something else at work in that one, as well…something to balance it. _He_ might have made a satisfying meal, had I gotten the chance. I doubt he would have satisfied my pallet as much as a pure human, however."

"Pure human?" Reeve muttered the question almost to himself.

Chaos smirked and stepped a little closer, looking down at him with more than a passing interest. He smelled wonderful, and the spirit housed within that attractive form burned bright and hot. He could feed off this one for much longer than average, before he expired. Maybe he wouldn't drain him to that point. Maybe he could keep him…as a pet.

"Pure human, such as yourself," murmured the demon. "Your spirits produce the ideal energy for my consumption."

"Oh. I see." Reeve tried to back up, but he was already against the cell door.

"You have a very strong spirit." Chaos inhaled his scent, enjoying the earthy musk and the underlying essence of spiritual energy blended in with it.

"Uh, thanks. My spirit and I work out at the gym, whenever we can." Reeve looked nervous and sounded flustered.

"I have not fed since awakening again," murmured Chaos, running the tip of his tongue over his sharp canines. He looked at Reeve's tense mouth. He lowered his head and before the human could react, he licked the side of Reeve's face. He found the taste of his skin pleasing to the tongue and he smiled in a predatory manner at him as he raised his head to look down at him again.

"I think I would like to taste your spirit, Reeve Tuesti. It smells pure."

"I don't know if 'pure' is the adjective I'd use to describe my soul," replied the engineer tensely. "but think for a moment. Deepground wants to rid the world of people like me and build a new world, populated by their own kind. If that happens, Chaos, then you'll have nothing but 'fouled' spirit energy on your menu, for the rest of your existence. No more pure humans for you. Is that what you want?"

"Don't speak to me as though I am a child," warned Chaos…but he could not deny the truth of the man's words. He took a slow breath and reigned in his hunger and desire. "What do you propose?"

"Fight them with us," answered Reeve immediately, hopefully. "Stop them from succeeding in their goal and ensure that humanity and the world will go on. If Omega rises another day from some actual catastrophe, then so be it…we'll accept our fate. This is not the way it should happen, though. Doesn't the thought of these people controlling Omega piss you off? It sure as hell does _me_."

Chaos looked down, only partially understanding the meaning behind Reeve's words. "If you urinate on me, I'll kill you."

"What? No, no, that isn't what I meant," corrected the human hastily. "Saying you're pissed off is just a colorful way of saying you're angry."

"How can words have colors?"

Reeve blinked at him, and then his mouth twitched before he covered it with a fist and coughed into it. "It's just figurative. I can explain the rules of modern language to you some time, if you like."

"Language does not need rules," growled Chaos, becoming frustrated again. He was growing more and more aware of his hunger, and the more time he spent near this human, the more tempting he became.

Reeve seemed to sense his impending danger, and he returned to the original subject. "So, what do you think? Will you let a group of tainted, arrogant mortals dictate when and how you and Omega perform your appointed tasks, or will you act to stop them and teach them a lesson, in the process?"

Chaos narrowed his eyes on him. He would not allow this human to lead him into an answer. "I will consider your proposal. I must rest again, for now." He leaned close to the man to sample his aroma once more. "I warn you, engineer; I will require sustenance, eventually."

Finally seeing a glimpse of the fear Reeve had valiantly been trying to hide, Chaos smirked. Some mortals were just meant to be toyed with.

* * *

When Vincent regained control of his body again, the words that came out of his mouth weren't quite what Reeve expected.

"He licked you."

Reeve blinked. "You…uh…saw that, did you?"

"I saw and heard everything, this time," answered the gunman morosely. He went over to the cot and sat on it, propping one booted foot on the edge and resting his gauntlet on his bent knee. "Why did he lick you?"

Reeve shrugged. "I don't know…people tasting, maybe? It could be like a wine tasting, where you take a little sip, swirl it around and spit it back out."

Vincent regarded him with hooded red eyes. "You sound cavalier over the possibility of being chewed up and spit back out by a demon."

Reeve chuckled nervously and ran his fingers through his hair, before crossing the cell and taking a seat beside the gunman. "Look Vincent, I thought it was weird too, but the important thing is that I was right. Chaos _can_ be reasoned with, and I think there's a good chance he'll cooperate with us against Deepground."

"Don't you even care that Chaos has shown an interest in making a meal of you?"

Reeve fondly imagined he detected a note of jealousy in the other man's tone, but now wasn't the time to indulge in his fantasies. "Vincent, we're _all_ taking risks in this fight. If we fail, it will mean the end of us anyway. I don't think being drained to death of spirit energy is any worse or better than what awaits me and everyone else, if we don't stop Deepground."

Vincent sighed and nodded. "We pick our battles. I just hope you're prepared for what yours may bring to you.

* * *

-To be continued


	23. Chapter 23

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter twenty-three: Seek and destroy

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note: _**_This chapter has been censored from the original version. _

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters._**

* * *

It was the night before they were scheduled to move out for Midgar. Zack tried to get his companions together for a night out, in the hopes of unwinding before the big day. Genesis and Angeal gave each other one of those _looks_ that told Zack they were more interested in quality time alone than a night out with him. Angeal politely declined and Zack didn't press the matter. Sephiroth coolly informed him that he had too many preparations to make to go out partying, and he advised him to forget his plan and get some rest while he could.

Sighing dejectedly over his lack of success, Zack considered giving Reno a call. Surely, he could convince that wild redhead to hit the town with him, if nobody else. He didn't _want_ to "prepare for battle" until it was time to move out. He did his best work when he didn't spend all night fretting over an impending mission. Zack preferred spontaneity to methodical planning—it was one thing he had in common with Genesis. Angeal and Sephiroth were the ones that needed to pay attention to every minute detail when preparing to go on a mission.

"Lieutenant Fair," called a young woman as he passed her in the corridor.

Zack stopped and turned, a smile immediately curing his mouth as he looked the blonde up and down. She was wearing a ShinRa MP uniform; the kind typically worn by communications analysts and other people that worked behind the scenes, out of combat. The navy blue skirt suit was attractive on her and her companion. The blonde wore her hair in a tasteful twist and her brunette friend had a short, pixie style haircut. He observed that both girls were very cute and his gaze lingered on their feminine curves with appreciation.

"Well hi, ladies." Zack gave them a charismatic smile and approached them. He didn't remember ever having met either of them before, but Zack loved female company regardless of familiarity. "What can I do for you?"

Green eyes glanced askew at brown ones as the girls silently communicated with each other—provoking the ebon-haired SOLDIER operative to cock his head quizzically in a wolf-like manner.

"The big fight is tomorrow," said the blonde thoughtfully.

The brunette nodded and she stepped closer to Zack, looking up at him with admiration in her dark gaze. "We'll be relatively safe managing the radar systems, but you'll be right there in the thick of it."

Zack scratched his head and shrugged. "That's what being in SOLDIER is all about. We drive a wedge in to give our allies the opening they need to do their jobs. Hey, what you ladies are going to be doing is just as important as my job."

"Maybe, but not nearly as risky," answered the blonde with a little smile. She stepped closer to him as well and she reached out to lay a slender hand on his chest, over his heart. "I hate the thought of you getting killed, Lieutenant. You're my favorite SOLDIER operative."

"Mine too," agreed the brunette, and she put her hand on his shoulder.

Zack blushed a little and he grinned sheepishly at them. Sometimes he forgot he had a few fans of his own, and it was always flattering to get praise. "Yeah? Really?"

He honestly wasn't trying to be cute, but the girls evidently found his response adorable and they smiled at each other in that conspiring way. The blonde rubbed his arm and leaned closer to him. "You take special risks and you always have a smile on your face while you're doing it. I think that deserves a special reward."

"Yes, it does," agreed the brunette with a flirty smile.

Zack didn't waste the opportunity. He put an arm around each of them and began to lead them away to the elevator. Suddenly, the night was looking up. "So…do you girls have plans tonight? I know we've got a big mission tomorrow, but since you never know what could happen, I'd rather enjoy myself than spend the whole night hashing out the details. What about you?"

The young women smiled at him and fell into step with him, each of them putting an arm around his waist. "I think that's a great idea," enthused the blonde.

"I thought you'd never ask," teased the brunette with a smile.

Zack relaxed, more than happy to be in the company of two pretty women. "By the way," he said as they approached the elevator, "what are your names? You never told me."

"I'm Clarice," answered the brunette.

"Marie," answered the blonde.

Zack gave them both a little squeeze. "Cool. Nice to meet you."

* * *

Some time later in the dark hours of the morning, Genesis sat awake in bed, reading a book by the light of a small reading light he had clamped to the cover. His companion lay sleeping, with his head pillowed on the redhead's sheet-covered thigh. Genesis stroked Angeal's rich, dark hair absently as he read. It was a hot night and he'd manifested his wing, gently fanning the air around the bed without consciously thinking about it. He could have turned on the air conditioning, but that would require getting up, and he couldn't do so without disturbing Angeal's rest.

As it was, when he adjusted the pillow behind him and tried to shift into a more comfortable position, he woke his companion anyway. Angeal grunted sleepily and lifted his head, peering blearily up the length of Genesis' half-naked body.

"What time is it?" he mumbled.

Genesis glanced at his watch—which happened to be the only thing on his naked body, besides his earrings and the sheets. "0316 hours. Go back to sleep, Angeal. You can get another two hours in, before we need to get up and prepare to move out."

Angeal sighed and rubbed Genesis' thigh, dropping his head back down onto it again. "Why are you up, then? Couldn't sleep?"

Genesis nodded in agreement, his eyes scanning the pages before him. "I got restless. You know how I am. Once I'm awake, I can't go right back to sleep."

"Mmm. You should still try." Angeal covered a yawn. "We need to be as rested as possible."

"I'm far too wound up," sighed Genesis, "but I promise you, I have plenty of energy on reserve for this mission. I'm looking forward to kicking some ass."

"And I have no doubt you will," answered Angeal sincerely. He lifted his head again and squinted at the cover of the book in the redhead's hand. "That's not _'Loveless'_."

"Very observant of you," answered Genesis dryly. "I _do_ read other works of literature, on occasion. Right now, I don't need the comfort of _'Loveless'_; I need the distraction of _'Eve of Hope'_."

"I see." Angeal laid his head on Genesis' thigh again. "What is it about?"

"Two brothers setting out to find the Promised Land." Genesis shrugged. "I'm not wildly engrossed in it, but as I said; I need a distraction or I'll end up pacing."

Angeal smiled and massaged the length of Genesis' thigh again. "We have nearly two hours before it's time to get ready," he reiterated. He slid a battle-roughened hand further up the redhead's thigh, and then he started to tug the sheet lower.

"Stop that," chastised Genesis insincerely, slapping at the mischievous hand. "If you get me started again, we may not be ready for deployment in time."

"I thought I was supposed to be the responsible one." Angeal shifted his position and he started kissing Genesis' lower abs. The sheet dropped lower and exposed the redhead's genitals. "Put the book down, Gen."

In truth, Genesis had lost all interest in his book and the steady swelling of his cock was proof of it. Still, he wasn't the sort to give in easily. "What if I don't want to?"

Angeal didn't seem worried. "Then I'll just have to encourage a shift in priorities."

He proceeded to demonstrate what he meant by clever, loving use of his mouth. Inevitably, Genesis slowly dropped the book to the bed and gave in. He grabbed fistfuls of sheets as Angeal's efforts brought him closer to climax, and he forgot all pretenses of defiance in the heat of pleasure. Angeal rewarded him handsomely for submitting to his demands, of course.

* * *

_A couple of hours later:_

"Vincent, are you awake?"

Reeve knocked again, glancing down at his watch with a frown. "I'm sorry…I know it's really early, but the strike teams are getting ready to converge on Midgar. I need an answer from Chaos concerning his part in this."

Seeing the glance exchanged between the two guards on either side of the door, Reeve sighed and regarded them. "Excuse me, but could you fellows give me a few moments alone with my friend? I promise I'll call for help if he tries to eat me."

They hesitated, but Reeve's position in the organization gave him the authority to make the demand, so they complied. The engineer returned his attention to his current goal. "Vincent?"

After a moment, the door to the private suite opened to reveal Vincent. His raven hair was mussed and a bit tangled, and it occurred to Reeve that sleeping in a real bed must be something of a luxury to him.

"Chaos hasn't returned since the incident in the board room," answered Vincent in a toneless voice. "I'm sorry, Reeve. I don't think you can count on him."

Reeve nodded, not particularly surprised. He knew it was a long shot, but he thought it was worth trying. At least he'd managed to convince Rufus to set Vincent up in a guarded suite, rather than a jail cell. "I see. What about you? Can I count on you in this fight?"

The gunman looked faintly puzzled. "You really want me in the field?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I? You're a crack-shot and that gun of yours can fire bullets with enough force to penetrate even the toughest armor. Not to mention, you have three other friends you could bring into the fray at any time, if the situation requires it."

"My other demons won't be participating," insisted Vincent. "If I go, it will be alone—provided Chaos doesn't decide to come forth after all."

Reeve shrugged. "Fair enough. As long as you're there, old friend. We could use your help."

* * *

While Reeve was coaxing Vincent to join them in the fight, Sephiroth and the officers of SOLDIER were overseeing the deployment of their assigned regiments. Zack was late and Genesis passed by his door as he was exiting his sleeping quarters. The redhead stopped and raised a brow at him when he witnessed the two giggling young women squeezing out the door with him. At first, Zack didn't notice the other SOLDIER operative and he gave his companions a grin and a promise to call them as he adjusted his shoulder guards.

"Oh, good morning, Lt. Rhapsodos," offered the brunette with a blush when she saw him.

Genesis' expression didn't change. "I assume you both have somewhere to be, given that we're moving out."

The girls looked at each other uncomfortably and the blonde straightened her skirt. "Yes Sir. We're on our way to our posts now."

Genesis made a sweeping gesture. "Then go."

As the two women hurried away, Genesis turned to Zack and smirked. "Whore."

"Yeah, I'm a big ol' manwhore," agreed Zack with a shrug, his smug grin not fading, "but that's not your business, buddy. I used protection and we both know military personnel are tested regularly during physicals, so get off my back."

"Fine," grunted Genesis, "but I'd avoid bragging about it too openly, in front of Sephiroth…unless you _want_ him to know you're running late because you were having a threesome with two army girls."

"_What_?" Kunsel was hurrying down the hall and he overheard as he passed by. He stopped in his tracks and blinked hazel eyes at Zack. He brushed light brown bangs out of his eyes and grinned. "Dude…you had a _threesome_? You're the luckiest guy I know!"

"Well, it was there idea," admitted Zack. "I really didn't expect it to go like that, but that's one thing I can cross of my list of _'things to do before I die'_. Now if my 'big brothers' would just stop trying to cock-block me, life would be perfect." He patted Genesis on the shoulder meaningfully.

"Clearly, I've never successfully blocked your cock," countered Genesis as the three of them fell into step together at a brisk pace. "It's an endeavor none of us have succeeded with, in fact. Let's just hope your fortifications are strong enough to prevent eventual rotting of said member."

"What did he say?" Kunsel asked in a puzzled whisper.

"Poet talk," explained Zack out the corner of his mouth. "I think he meant he hopes I buy good condoms, but he can be tough to translate when he goes off on one of his tangents."

Genesis heard and he gave the two of them an exasperated look. "I swear, I'm going to buy you a dictionary for your birthday."

"He'd just use the pages as toilet paper, Sir," advised Kunsel with a snicker.

Genesis sighed.

* * *

"You're late." Angeal didn't take his eyes off the troops boarding the airship as he said it.

"Blame your puppy," muttered Genesis. "I had to hurry him and his friend along."

Angeal wasn't particularly surprised to hear that Zack was late responding to the call to arms. He'd been determined to have a night out and he likely had a hangover to go with his tardiness. Angeal glanced across the distance at Zack, who was overseeing his own regiment of SOLDIER Thirds as they marched into another airship. He didn't look or act like he was suffering a hangover. In fact, he seemed as energetic as ever and there was an air of confidence and eagerness about him. Zack was ready for a fight.

Angeal grunted in approval and motioned for his Second-class operatives to keep moving. "I have faith he'll make up for it, once the fighting starts. Shouldn't you be overseeing your own regiment?"

"My men are already boarded and ready to go," answered Genesis.

That brought a frown of surprise to Angeal's lips, and he turned around to look at the airship assigned to Genesis' regiment. As the redhead claimed, the last of his troops appeared to have already finished boarding and the hatch was closing for takeoff.

"How?" asked the brunet, not bothering to hide the amazement in his eyes when he looked at his companion. "You arrived late and you barely spent two minutes with them, before coming over to me."

"Fear," answered Genesis candidly. "My men follow my orders with haste, precision and without question. They wouldn't dare risk pissing me off. I've always told you and Zack that you're both too nice to your subordinates. Sephiroth has finished loading his people onto the Highwind, too."

Angeal looked over at the mentioned aircraft and he sighed. Yes, the General was finished and he was preparing to board the Highwind. His eyes met Angeal's across the distance and he gave him a little nod. Angeal nodded back and he urged his people to move faster.

"You're falling behind, people. Get on this ship _now_."

He ignored his lover's smirk as the operatives obligingly picked up the pace. So his men didn't fear him, the way Genesis and Sephiroth's men did. The only reason they seemed to be moving slow was because the other two regiments had moved so quickly to comply with their more intimidating officers. In the end, Angeal knew without a doubt that his people would risk their lives for him, and vice-versa. Trust was the most important thing between soldiers, regardless of what branch they worked in.

* * *

"Commissioner Tuesti, are you certain this will work?"

Reeve glanced at Rufus sidelong, again wishing he'd been allowed to install his special chair in Lazard's chopper, rather than the president's. Everyone agreed that Rufus' security was top priority, however, and Reeve couldn't rightly argue with that. The control chair he'd designed would allow him to stealth-mask the entire convoy, provided nothing glitched with the network they were using. In addition to providing the means to shield the entire army from radar detection, the chair was directly connected to the new enhancements on board. In a pinch, Reeve could construct an energy shield around this particular helicopter to deflect enemy fire. Clever use of a Wall materia and a circuitry system made the feature possible.

"President, I've tested everything as thoroughly as possible, in the time I had," assured Reeve. "I've never worked so fast in my life, but I can assure you this device is ready for use. My biggest concern is keeping the network stable and secure. If Hojo's A.I. breeches it before we reach ground zero, our chance of moving in without early detection will probably be blown. Let's not forget that Hojo _wants_ Deepground to succeed, and that network entity he created has his goals and desires."

Rufus rubbed the bridge of his nose between a thumb and forefinger, glancing warily at Vincent. "I see. And what will _your_ part in this be, Mr. Valentine? Will you be bringing a certain supernatural entity to the table?"

"I'll fight alongside your people," answered Vincent, "but I have no intention of bringing other entities into the fight. Whether Chaos makes an appearance or not isn't really up to me, however."

Rufus frowned and looked at Reeve. "And you aren't a bit worried that Chaos might decide to come forth and side with the enemy, rather than us?"

Reeve shook his head. "Not especially. If nothing else, we can count on Chaos' pride to keep him from siding with them. He knows they're trying to manipulate Omega, and by association, him too. Chaos made it pretty clear he won't allow mortals to manipulate him into doing a damned thing. He might sit back and watch humanity get wiped out if they succeed, but he won't be helping Deepground with their goal."

The answer seemed to satisfy Rufus. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I'll return to the pilot's seat now. How soon can we expect the stealth feature to go online?"

"I'm bringing it online now," answered Reeve. "We should be invisible to radar detection long before we reach Midgar air space."

"Good." Rufus got out of the seat and made his way to the cockpit.

"Sir," Reeve called before he exited the cabin, "are you _sure_ you want to be in the thick of this? To be brutally honest, I can't promise these new features I've installed will work as intended when it counts, and as the president of this organization, nobody expects you to be directly involved in this conflict. It's not too late to turn around and drop you back off at Junon, where you can direct from a safe distance."

Rufus paused and looked over his shoulder at him, wearing a dry smirk on his handsome face. His gray eyes were direct and fearless as he answered his question. "I'm the leader of the free world now, Reeve. It's appropriate that I participate. This could be the dawn of humanity's destruction and if we fail to stop it, no place will be safe, for anyone. Make no mistake, I won't spend my last days hiding in an office."

Reeve nodded in understanding, and he approved of Rufus' attitude. When the president left the cabin, Reeve looked at Vincent and shrugged. "He might be a cold-hearted, soulless bastard most of the time, but you've got to admire the man's gumption."

"He deserves no special praise for doing the exact same thing everyone else is doing," countered Vincent.

"True, but what he said was true; he _is_ the leader of the free world and most other men in his position wouldn't be risking their own hides by fighting alongside their people. Rufus Shinra doesn't have a lot of redeeming qualities, but an iron spine is one of them."

Vincent nodded thoughtfully. "I concur."

Reeve felt compelled to try and share his feelings, seeing as this could very well end in death. "Vincent, I just want you to know…whatever happens…you're more than just a friend to me."

The gunman tilted his head in a curious manner, his ruby gaze holding Reeve's. "More…than a friend?"

Reeve felt himself beginning to blush. "Well, yes. I trust you implicitly—more than I've ever trusted anyone."

A ghost of a smile curved the pale lips. "And I, you."

Reeve swallowed, knowing his friend wasn't quite grasping his meaning. "What I mean is…Vincent, I've had—"

He was interrupted by Rufus' voice coming over the intercom. "Tuesti, we need those shields up now. We'll be approaching Midgar airspace in twenty minutes."

Reeve sighed. Maybe it was for the best that he didn't tell Vincent he was hopelessly in love with him. He adjusted his headset and spoke into the mic. "Coming online now, President."

* * *

Weiss stirred in his seat when the sounds of activity outside the control room door disturbed him. He frowned as his brother materialized in the room, surrounded by a dark nimbus. Nero's red gaze was uneasy as he offered an explanation to him.

"An army has been spotted in the distance," announced the sable-haired man, "They're closing in fast, and they have airships, helicopters and armored ground transport at their disposal. Our predictions were right, brother. Unfortunately, our scanners failed to detect them and we haven't much time to prepare before they get here."

Weiss turned his seat around and adjusted his monitor system, until he could see the horizon on his screen. He zoomed in on the mass in the distance and he smiled as he counted their numbers. "Sooner than expected, with the losses they suffered from our attack."

"I've already deployed operatives to prepare a defense," assured Nero. "What are your orders?"

"Prepare the prisoners for cleansing," answered Weiss, "but don't send them to Gaia just yet."

Nero looked puzzled. "But the longer we keep them alive, the greater the risk they'll be rescued before we can proceed."

"Do you really think these humans have a chance of infiltrating this city before we make our sacrifice?" Weiss smiled coldly. "Have faith, Nero. We'll wait until the fighting begins, and then we'll give the prisoners to the planet. This battle will swell the ranks of souls entering the Lifestream, don't you see? So many spirits rejoining the planet so quickly is sure to convince it of the threat, and Omega will rise…under _our_ control. The ShinRa dogs are doing exactly what we want them to do, and the loss of life on both sides will only hasten their doom."

Nero's answering smile was hidden beneath the strange wrappings crossing over his face, but it reached his eyes. He flexed the fingers of his left hand, recently freed from the restrictive sleeves that his former masters had forced him to wear. A globe of darkness manifested briefly, before he made it vanish. He pressed his fist against his heart in a salute.

"You are wise, my brother, and our people are prepared to give their lives for the cause. I'll relay your orders immediately."

* * *

The ShinRa forces began their attack the moment they were in range, starting off with missile fire from their air forces, while the ground forces quickly exited their armored vehicles and began to set up a barricade and ground missiles. There was no time to establish a forward base, given the importance of hitting the enemy hard and fast. Deepground forces retaliated immediately, launching missile fire of their own and closing in with their own aircrafts.

"Keep 'em busy, folks," instructed Captain Highwind over the communications, "Let's give our people on the ground time to finish setting up! Drop your payloads now."

In unison, all aircraft opened up their respective cabins to release the SOLDIER operatives within. They parachuted down into the ruined city below, led by the three winged officers to drive a wedge into the enemy ground forces for their less specialized comrades to follow them through. Some of them got shot down before they landed, and others ended up grappling in the air with Deepground operatives equipped with jet packs. More familiar with the Deepground units now that they'd had time to study the files, Sephiroth acted quickly.

"Take out those Shrike units," shouted the General to his fellow winged officers. "We need a clear path to the ground. Lt. Fair, you lead them on."

Missile exchanges from the embattled air and ground forces streaked through the air as he spoke, and the explosions from impact proved even more distracting. In the distance, the president and the Turks were taking on groups of Deepground aircrafts with their choppers, and the bigger airships commanded by Captain Highwind added their firepower to the effort.

Angeal and Genesis swooped in with Sephiroth to scatter and deal with the enemy units, while the drifting paratroopers helped each other with the Shrike units already attacking them. Zack managed to steer his parachute over to one of his embattled men, and he produced the knife sheathed at his thigh as he came up behind the enemy. Zack demonstrated that despite his friendly nature, he was more than willing to shed blood for a comrade. He grabbed the enemy agent's helmet and yanked his head back, giving him no opportunity to react to his surprise attack. No matter how strong their enhancements made them, not even Deepground operatives could survive a slit throat. Blood sprayed the face of the SOLDIER operative he'd been attacking as Zack's cut opened the enemy's throat. The Deepground operative clutched helplessly at his throat and fell away from his initial target as he choked on his own blood.

"Kunsel, you okay?" Zack shouted, noticing the wide-eyed shock on his friend's face behind the bloodied visor. "Hey, stay alert!"

"S-sorry, Zack," answered the Second in a shaken voice. "I'm okay."

Zack spared him a pat on the arm and he watched the dying enemy spiral to the ground, evidently forgetting all about his jet pack. He winced involuntarily when the Deepground operative's suffering was abruptly ended by the impact of his body striking the broken concrete, far below. Sephiroth sliced two other Shrikes right in half with his masamune, giving them an even more gruesome end than the one Zack had dispatched. Nearby enemies hesitated to engage the silver-haired man, after watching their companions fall in two pieces to the city below.

They didn't even see Genesis swooping in behind them, his sword glowing red. They became aware of his presence when the tip of that sword pierced one of them all the way through, from behind. The surprised operative looked down in disbelief at the red blade protruding through his chest, seeming to glow hotter with his own unnaturally bright blood. His companions moved to attack Genesis, but Sephiroth blocked them and they were put on the defensive, forced to block his singing blade to avoid the same fate as their previous comrades.

Angeal's attacks weren't subtle, but they demonstrated a certain, different kind of grace. Unlike his companions, the big man liked to use his fists more than his sword, whenever possible. Whether this was because he was less likely to take life whilst incapacitating an opponent or because it appealed to a more primal side of him, Angeal showed his true skill when dealing blows with his fists. He knocked one opponent unconscious and in a display of chivalry that had Genesis rolling his eyes, he caught him before he fell and carried him to a rooftop, allowing him to fall a painful, yet non-fatal distance to the building below. He then turned his attention to the other obstacles in his fellow SOLDIER operatives' way.

"Follow me down, guys," Zack hollered when Angeal plowed into the last group of airborne trooper enemies. He gave his former mentor a worried look as he steered his chute and drifted down with the others. Angeal went down in a tangle of limbs with a group of four Deepground operatives, and though they weren't Tsviets, they were still stronger than SOLDIER Thirds and they did outnumber the big man.

He didn't have to worry for long, because Genesis flew to Angeal's aid while Sephiroth finished dealing with the rest of the Shrike units. Unfortunately, Zack noticed a fresh wave of Deepground troopers gathering on the street below, where he and his fellow operatives would be landing. Amongst their ranks were some heavy armored soldiers; armed with rocket launchers, formidable, serrated swords and a range of explosives—not to mention body armor that only the most powerful bullets and swords could penetrate. One of said operatives happened to be readying his launcher, in fact—getting ready to fire on Zack and the other incoming fighters.

"Everybody _scatter_!"

Kunsel and the others took Zack's warning shout seriously, steering away from each other as best they could to present less of a target. Two of them weren't fortunate enough to get out of the way in time and the streaking rocket blasted right through one and exploded against the other. Body parts flew and there were cries of outrage from the victims' companions.

"You're dead meat, pal," promised Zack with a snarl.

Staring down at the man responsible with a deadly promise in his blue-violet eyes, Zack drew his blade and fumbled with the fastenings of his chute. He didn't bother to wait until he landed; he was close enough to the ground for his purposes. He released the chute and free-fell the rest of the way, with his sword leading the way and a howl on his lips.

"Zack, wait up!"

The lieutenant hardly heard Kunsel's urgent shout. He had his target.

* * *

Reeve looked up at Vincent as the gunman approached the open hatch, his black hair and red cape whipping dramatically in the wind. Vincent paused and looked back at him, and for a moment, Reeve thought he saw a brief flash of some passionate feeling in that ruby gaze.

"Be careful," advised Vincent.

"You too," answered Reeve, shouting to be heard over the wind. He checked the settings on his control screen. "Aren't you going to use a chute like the other combatants?"

"You know I don't need one," answered Vincent. I'll be fine."

Thinking of the man's strange ability to float around like a crimson spirit, Reeve nodded. He took a deep breath and averted his eyes as Vincent jumped out, holding his formidable gun ready. Advising himself to concentrate on the task at hand, Reeve focused his attention on the data and listened carefully to the communications.

* * *

"This is Tseng," reported the Turk director, "we've cleared the area over Sector five. Reno, what is your status?"

"Just about finished here over HQ…or what's left of it. Fair's team is tearing up the ground forces below, man. We took a pretty heavy hit but Rude's got it patched up enough to carry us through a few more fights, yo."

"Good," Rufus said, "we've suffered enough casualties already. Try not to add yourselves to the list."

"You got it, Sir," agreed Reno.

"Captain Highwind," Rufus said, "is your sector clear?"

"I took out one of the bigguns," answered Cid, "but we've got a few small turkeys to deal with, before we're through. I need more support…I've lost all three of the choppers in my group."

"Damn," cursed Rufus, glancing at Scarlet. They only had two other choppers to spare, themselves. Tseng still had an airship available on his team and Reno didn't report losing any of his units, but they were further away.

"Did you catch that?" demanded Cid. "I need some backup over here, or we're gonna lose Sector seven!"

"I got your back, Highwind," came a gruff, deep voice that had Rufus and Scarlet both lifting their eyebrows. "Told ya we'd be here! Jus' runnin' a little late!"

"Is that…Wallace?" Rufus asked in bewilderment. "What in the _hell_ is he doing on this frequency, and what does he mean, he's 'got your back'?"

"I made a call before we shipped out," admitted Cid. "Figured we could use the extra support, since it's all she wrote if we fuck this up. Now shut your pie hole and worry about Deepground, not your grudge against AVALANCHE."

Rufus' jaw dropped at the man's brazen order. He was about to ask Cid just who in the hell he thought he was, to talk to him that way, but Reeve's voice broke through over the aircraft's private channel.

"I think we should welcome the backup, President. AVALANCHE brought seven choppers with them and about a hundred ground troops, armed with explosives. That might not seem like much, but these Deepground people are hitting us hard and we aren't in a position to turn down the extra help."

Rufus sighed, and as much as he hated to admit it, both Reeve and Cid made good arguments—crude though the latter man's were. There was simply too much at stake to split hairs. He gave his response over the shared military frequency.

"If AVALANCHE helps us win this, I could be persuaded to pretend they haven't spent the past decade committing terrorism against our organization. This is a one time offer, given only because of the extreme situation." He gave a warning glare to Scarlet in the copilot seat, when she looked like she might object. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, saying with her body language that she thought he was making a mistake with the offer. Rufus didn't care. His presidency would come to a crashing end if Omega woke and performed its purpose.

"Worry about giving our people directions, if they make it into Deepground," Rufus advised her, turning off his mic so that only Scarlet could hear him. "We can deal with AVALANCHE after we've saved the world, Scarlet."

She nodded reluctantly, unable to refute his logic.

* * *

"Weiss, they've breached Deepground."

The white-haired Tsviet lifted his head with difficulty, staring up at his sibling. "They're inside the lower city, then?"

Nero nodded. "Yes. A troupe of SOLDIER operatives fought their way to the entrance. Rosso's killer is leading them, and the G-cell carrier is also with them."

"Then it's time," answered Weiss. "Sacrifice the prisoners."

"What if they make it all the way here?" asked Nero.

Weiss smirked. "It won't matter. I'm about to be reborn and with the sacrifice, Gaia will release Omega. It's all falling into place."

"We'll see it happen together, brother," said Nero in a determined voice. He brushed aside some strands of wild black hair that had fallen over his eyes. "You're certain of this cure, though? It…seems to be weakening you further."

"To be reborn, one has to first die. You'll see…brother." The pale eyes flashed with sudden passion. "Everyone…will see."

Nero frowned at him, inwardly finding his recent behavior odd. A lot had happened though, and Weiss had put a lot of effort into finding a way to cure his illness. Nobody could accuse Weiss of sanity either, but then, sanity was a thing most of them lost some time ago, under the 'tender mercies' of ShinRa's Deepground scientists and the restrictors.

His love and loyalty to Weiss made questioning his judgment further impossible for Nero. "I trust you, brother. Always. I will conduct the sacrifice personally, and I'll deal with these intruders myself, should they make it past our lower city's defenses."

* * *

Seeing an entire city that looked a bit like Kalm beneath the ruins of Midgar was a bit jarring, but the SOLDIER troupe didn't have time to "ooh" and "ahh" over it for long, as they were immediately set upon by the residents. They had to fight every step of the way to make it off of the lift and into the city itself, but they eventually made it, thanks to the dedication of the operatives and the leadership of Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal. Vincent offered substantial aid to their efforts, as well, having joined forces with them when he ended up fighting near the ruined tower.

"We've made it into the outer housing district," Sephiroth reported in a low voice over the transmitter. "We lost six operatives along the way. There are searchlights in the distance, coming from the center of the city. It won't be long before we face further opposition."

"It could be even sooner than you think," warned Genesis with a nod at the cavernous ceiling. "Aircrafts incoming."

Sephiroth looked up to see several squads of Deepground operatives, riding the odd, zero-gravity bikes that sped through the air like hovercrafts. They were closing in on their area fast, as though they already knew their location. The operatives they'd already fought must have reported their location before they fell in battle. Seeing the flash of Genesis' sword beside him, Sephiroth shook his head and grabbed the redhead's wrist.

"We may stand a better chance of reaching their leader with some stealth, Rhapsodos," explained Sephiroth when Genesis gave him an offended look. "For once, we may need to avoid fights that aren't necessary. We've already lost half the team we brought down here with us."

"I'd much rather fight," insisted Genesis.

"I think he's right," urged Angeal. "Genesis, hiding isn't my first choice either, but we're vastly outnumbered down here and Zack and the others have their hands full beating back the topside enemies. We were lucky to make it in here to begin with."

"We should hide," suggested Vincent. "Someone has to make it to Weiss, if we're going to end this before it's too late."

Faced with that reasoning, Genesis sighed and shelved his aggression for the greater good. He heard a distant howl, coming from a throat that was once human. He couldn't quite hide his grimace as he looked at Sephiroth with glowing aqua eyes. "What do you propose we do about the beasts? They'll sniff us out, wherever we hide."

"Save the fighting for when that happens," ordered Sephiroth. "Until then, we'll try to be covert. This operation is too important to be reckless."

* * *

"I can't believe I'm hiding in someone's kitchen."

The whispered complaint distracted Angeal from the sound of the booted footsteps outside and he put a warning finger to his lips before whispering back to Genesis, leaning close to speak into his ear. "You agreed this was the best plan. Besides, the odds of us making it to that reactor without seeing more combat are practically zero. Avoiding un-necessary fights doesn't mean we won't run into opposition at all or get discovered, eventually."

"Then we should be splitting up," countered Genesis. "We send one team to sneak in and kill this bastard, while another provides a distraction."

Angeal looked around at the handful of remaining Seconds, the General, and their unlikely caped ally. "I doubt there are enough of us left to provide a significant distraction, Gen."

Genesis gave him a look that was so exasperated, Angeal immediately regretted his choice of words. "It's like you don't know me at all, Angeal."

He knew that look in his eyes and his heart sank with dread. Angeal shook his head, frowning fiercely at him. "Don't. Just don't, Genesis."

A slow grin curved the redhead's lips. "Why not? With my abilities and the materia I've been issued, I think I could cause a significant distraction all on my own. You said yourself that we need _someone_ to make it to Weiss, and chances of that happening are better if someone else lures the enemy away."

"I would agree with that, if you weren't talking about making a lemming out of yourself," muttered Angeal, inadvertently raising his voice above a whisper for a moment.

"Silence in the ranks," warned Sephiroth, his emerald gaze stern on them. "The enemy is moving in on this location. Let's not make it easier for them to detect us."

Angeal quieted down, and he spoke into Genesis' ear again in a bare whisper, conscious of the fact that Deepground operatives had enhanced senses too—including hearing. "Just wait, okay?"

"You know I'm right," Genesis whispered back insistently. "And I'm fast enough to evade them. The rest of you can get to Weiss while they're chasing me."

As proud as he felt for his lover's brave offer, Angeal just couldn't get on board with the idea. "I can't let you go alone. It's too risky."

"Then come with me," suggested the redhead, his gaze holding Angeal's.

Outside, they could hear the snorts and grunts of the "beast" units, sniffing out their trail on all fours like hounds, even though they were humanoids. Angeal hardly noticed it, so caught up in Genesis' earnest gaze and a sense of déjà vu. He was reminded of the time when Genesis went missing and Angeal found him, only to be persuaded to defect and join him. The difference of course was the intention behind this scenario, but the same intensity was there, practically daring him to take a chance.

"We could do some damage, you and I," coaxed Genesis, his warm breath tickling Angeal's ear pleasantly. "We always do, when we fight together."

It was the bald truth. He and Gen had always "fit", regardless of whether they were fighting or fucking. They moved in conjunction, barely needing verbal communication anymore to work together.

"All right," he finally whispered, the Mako glow in his blue eyes briefly intensifying with adrenaline. "I'm proud of you, Genesis. Your willingness to possibly sacrifice yourself for this mission is proof that—"

"I couldn't care less about this mission," interrupted the redhead with a snort, "or what happens to humanity, for that matter. I'm doing this for two reasons. First, these people have dared to fuck with the goddess. That is unforgivable."

"Oh." Once again, Genesis had managed to make Angeal feel stupid. Evidently, he could still surprise him. "What's the other reason, then?"

The other man hesitated and glanced around, before toying with the ID tags hanging from Angeal's neck with gloved fingers. "I happen to want a certain apple thief to keep living. If this mission fails, that may not be possible."

Angeal felt his cheeks go warm with pleasure. He dared to squeeze the hand playing with his tags and he gave his dearest friend and lover a smile. "Then I'd better help you. Let's go."

Sephiroth noticed when they both checked their weapons and started for the hallway. He whispered and order to a nearby operative and he intervened smoothly, blocking their way. "What do you think you're doing?"

Angeal and Genesis looked at each other. The larger of the two answered the question softly. "We're giving the rest of you the chance to reach Weiss. From what we've heard of him, you're the best man for the job…possibly the only one that could go toe-to-toe with him. Your chances of reaching him are greater if his allies are too busy with us to notice you, General."

"Angeal would make a fairly decent wrecking ball, given his mass and my speed," added Genesis. "After accidentally tossing that hulking Tsviet through the tower window that day, I've started to consider how much damage such a move could do if orchestrated on purpose."

Angeal gave Genesis a wary look. "We…haven't talked about this. I'm not comfortable being your 'wrecking ball'."

"It's just a thought," assured Genesis calmly. "You never know what methods we may need to employ once we get out there, Angeal."

"Then let's just play it by ear and avoid tossing me at angry Deepground agents, for now," muttered the big man. He looked to Sephiroth. "With your permission, General, we'd like to volunteer to do this…before the enemy finds us all here. Consider the tactical advantage."

Sephiroth regarded them both with narrowed, thoughtful eyes. "I'll allow it, under the circumstances. You distract, you evade, and you pay attention to progress reports through communications. Don't take un-necessary risks, and be prepared to get out the moment you receive confirmation of this mission's success."

"And if it fails?" queried Genesis.

Sephiroth blinked slowly, as if failure wasn't a consideration. "In the event that Valentine and I fail to complete this objective, then it will be up to the two of you to finish it."

Angeal nodded. It had already been established that blowing the entire city up wasn't an option, due to the risk of flooding the Lifestream with additional souls. That was why he'd been consciously avoiding killing his opponents. He was no cold and merciless death dealer, but he ordinarily had no compunctions about killing an enemy for the greater good. This situation was different, however. Everyone that fell in this battle added to more fuel to the fire, and he believed Sephiroth was keeping that in mind as well, with his decision to avoid more fighting if possible.

Almost as if on cue, screams arose from somewhere deeper in the city. Hundreds of voices cried out together, as if suffering the same agony. The SOLDIER operatives and Vincent looked at one another with alarm at the terrible sound of human suffering. It echoed in the cavernous depths for a while before it died off, silenced by something better left unimagined.

"What the hell was _that_?" gasped one of the Seconds, breaking into a sweat.

"The hostages," answered Sephiroth, his gaze going to the narrow window in the small kitchen. "We've just heard them being executed. Why did they wait for this long, though?"

Nobody had an answer to that. Even Genesis was too shaken by the sound of those screams and the mental images of how those innocents met their end to speculate.

* * *

-To be continued


	24. Chapter 24

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter twenty-four: Omega

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note: _**_I didn't see the point in describing some of the events from DOC, since those who have played it or watched the cutscenes on media sites already know what happened. Hopefully, my choice not to bog the chapter down with excessive details won't make it seem rushed. _

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters._**

* * *

True to their promise, Genesis and Angeal provided ample distraction. They snuck out the back exit of the little house they'd been hiding in and they immediately proceeded to launch an attack on the Deepground search parties. There were no "hey you" obvious attempts to distract them…there was only a sudden flurry of violence, which took the enemy completely by surprise. Angeal mowed down a group of them with his Buster Sword drawn, charging like an angry bull before the troopers or their warped beast companions could react. Genesis provided further confusion, leaping into the air and spinning in a corkscrew motion with his blade flashing and flaming darts shooting out in all directions. One of the Pegasus riders was forced to leap off of his hoverbike to avoid being chopped into kibble, and another swerved right into a building with surprise. In less than a minute, the two SOLDIER officers had the undivided attention of every Deepground agent in the area.

"Bold moves," observed Sephiroth in approval, peering out at the carnage through the window. He glanced at his companions and nodded. "Move fast."

While he and Vincent moved deeper into the city, the rest of his team made their way back to the lift, as ordered. Initially, he intended to bring them with him, but he changed his mind and decided they'd do better on the surface, with the rest of the military. The fewer people he had to keep track of, the better.

As he and his companion left the area with quiet haste, Sephiroth inwardly hoped his two friends would come out of this alive. He wasn't one to express his affection openly, but he'd known Genesis and Angeal since he first began his training in SOLDIER, and there was a loyalty between the three of them that ran deep and true.

"Good luck," muttered Sephiroth under his breath as he cast one last look at them.

Vincent was a quiet, oddly reassuring presence at his back as he moved deeper into the city.

* * *

"Okay, word is out that they've killed all those people they were holding," Zack announced to his team once they had control of the sector. "That's what all that screaming we heard was about."

There were shouts of anger and protest within the ranks, and Zack held a blood-stained, gloved hand up to quiet them.

"Listen to me, guys. That means those bastards have sent a whole lot more souls to the Lifestream. I want to bring on the pain as bad as you do and pay these freaks back for what they've done, but we can't go all rabid on them, right now. Every Deepground operative we kill is just another drop in a bucket that's already getting too full, understand? Our orders are to hold this sector and avoid killing, if we can. Take out your ammo and replace it with the rubber bullets you've been issued. Use tear gas instead of explosives. Take prisoners if you can, but try not to kill any more of them."

Kunsel spoke up. "What about the General and the other Lieutenants?"

Zack shook his head. "They haven't reported their details, but I know they made it in. We've just got to trust them."

Kunsel nodded in understanding and he absently wiped at the dried blood on his arm, in a futile effort to get it off. "Feels like we're in Hell."

Zack looked around with a grimace, his face sooty and splotched with the blood of both his people and the enemy. "Yeah. Be strong, though. We'll get through this."

* * *

As their initial momentum wore off, Angeal and Genesis found themselves getting crowded. Their efforts to distract the enemy had paid off, but now they were being steadily surrounded, and with enemies stronger than the average SOLDIER recruit, fighting them back was quickly proving to be a more than ample challenge.

"Back to back," shouted Genesis as the noose tightened.

Angeal agreed with him unquestioningly, putting his broad back against Genesis'. Their blades spun and threw sparks as they deflected bullets and blocked sword strokes. One of the beast-men leaped through the air to pounce on Angeal, and he caught it by the throat before its gnashing teeth could bite him. With a grunt, Angeal threw the creature forcefully into the crowd of its peers.

"Angeal?"

"I'm all right," he assured, blocking a heavy-armored agent's serrated blade. It occurred to him that this really could be the end for the both of them, and Angeal decided to blurt his feelings while he still could.

"Love you, Gen."

Genesis looked over his shoulder at him and if anything, his expression revealed annoyance. "Just _what_ is that supposed to mean?"

The big man blushed in spite of himself. "It…uh…just means that I—"

"We aren't dead yet," interrupted Genesis, his crimson blade clashing with an opponent's, "so stop talking like the curtain is closing!"

Angeal managed a smile, comforted to know is declaration was rejected not because the feeling wasn't mutual, but because his companion refused to give up. He doubled his efforts, determined to stay alive if only to ensure that Genesis survived this.

* * *

They made it to the reactor before they faced opposition again. Vincent saw the movement in the shadows first, as Sephiroth was looking in another direction. He rudely shoved the General out of the way before flourishing his ragged cape. The bullet that could have hit Sephiroth was harmlessly absorbed in the crimson folds, and Vincent returned fire immediately. Sephiroth got to his feet quickly and had his masamune ready before the first insurgent closed the distance. Had he been a man with normal vision, he might have had difficulty seeing his opponents, but for the glowing stripes on their form-fitting uniforms. Fortunately for him, his Mako enhancements allowed him to navigate and fight in the underground city as well as any Deepground resident. Vincent was much the same.

Sephiroth dodged the first attacker, while simultaneously slicing the air and forcing the second to hop away hastily, to avoid being cut open. Vincent covered him as he went into melee, firing at the ranged attackers to keep them from getting a clear shot at Sephiroth. One of them went down, clutching at his throat as one of Cerberus' bullets punched a hole through it. Vincent followed up with a powerful Fire spell and he reloaded while they were scattered, flipping open the bullet chamber and filling it with new rounds with astonishing ease and haste.

"I was beginning to think your weapon had a perpetual supply of bullets," remarked Sephiroth as he blocked two more sword cuts aimed at him. He kicked one of his opponent's in the face and as he staggered backwards, he sliced him in half.

"I just reload quickly," assured Vincent, _almost_ cracking a smile. Cerberus could hold three times the ammo of a normal revolver, and he'd mastered the art of reloading in practically the blink of an eye. His cape's supernatural properties certainly helped him keep a substantial supply of bullets on him, at all times.

When Sephiroth finished off his remaining opponent, the two of them moved in on the ones taking cover against the building. While they knew every death counted in a bad way, there was no time to be delicate and take prisoners. Sephiroth managed to incapacitate one operative by slicing a leg off and Vincent shot a woman in both feet, but they were forced to kill the rest. The entrance to the reactor was locked, of course, but not even Deepground architecture could withstand the masamune's abnormally sharp edge. Sephiroth cut an upside-down "V" into the door and Vincent kicked the spot, making it fall inwards. The crash of metal was deafening as the broken part hit the floor.

"Do you know where to go now?" Vincent murmured as they stepped into the reactor together.

Sephiroth nodded and tapped his temple, searching the shadows with alert green eyes. "I memorized the schematics of every tactical Deepground facility, once we had access to Scarlet's files. I hardly needed her direction to navigate the city."

Vincent glanced askew at him. "You have your mother's memory."

Sephiroth returned his glance. "Lucrecia's?"

The gunman nodded. "She had a photographic memory, too."

Sephiroth compressed his lips briefly. His eyes brightened with lingering anger. "I know virtually nothing about her, aside from what I read in the files."

"Perhaps when this is finished, I can tell you more about her," offered Vincent. "You deserve to know who she was, and what she was like."

Sephiroth searched his mind for an appropriate response to the offer. He'd wanted to know more about his birth mother for a long time, but part of him dreaded it, as well. He'd built up an image of her based on what little he knew, after thinking of Jenova as his mother for so long. Would the truth of Lucrecia prove to be better than his imagination, or would he find it disappointing? His curiosity was greater than his trepidation, however.

"Why not tell me now?"

Vincent seemed mildly surprised. "You're sure you wouldn't rather wait for a better time?"

Sephiroth smirked without humor. "I'm confident, but I'm not delusional, Mr. Valentine. There may not be a 'better time', for either of us. I would like to know more about her, while I have the chance to hear it. We're sure to find further opposition inside of this facility, the deeper in we go."

"A realistic attitude," approved Vincent. "The first thing I'll tell you about your mother was that she was kind."

Sephiroth glanced at him and motioned to the left when they reached a T intersection. "Was she? I would think a woman who would allow experiments on her own unborn child isn't prone to that particular personality trait."

"Don't blame your mother for that," defended Vincent immediately. "You know who was really responsible."

"I know Hojo convinced her," agreed Sephiroth, "but she could have refused. She chose not to."

"He had a hold on her," explained Vincent. "A strong one. She was a scientist, and Hojo can be very persuasive. I've long suspected he used her guilt against her. He twists things, as you know."

"Her guilt…because of you?"

Vincent nodded. "Partly. My father, as well. She blamed herself. Once the treatments began, it was too late for her to back out. She would have miscarried you, had she tried. The treatments became necessary for her pregnancy to make it to full term."

Sephiroth paused and looked at him. "She told you that?"

Vincent also stopped. "Yes. She confided in me when I confronted her about what she and Hojo were doing. It was the last time we spoke to one another."

"I…see. I never knew."

They resumed walking, both of them staying alert for danger. "She loved you, Sephiroth," Vincent assured him in a low voice. "She was desperate to see you born. She wanted to hold you and tell you how sorry she was. If you need to hate someone, hate your father. Lucrecia doesn't deserve it."

Sephiroth couldn't contain a grimace. "Don't refer to him as my 'father'. He was a sperm contributor, and nothing more. I had no real parental figure as I grew up, and I wouldn't want to claim him if I could. As for hatred, I already harbor plenty of that for him."

"As you're entitled to," agreed Vincent.

They lapsed into silence again, and just as Sephiroth was about to ask him to share something else about his mother, the sound of gunfire echoed in the metal corridor. Vincent went down without warning and Sephiroth realized the shot had been fired from behind them. He lifted his sword and stood protectively over his companion as a group of Deepground operatives closed in on them with hardly a sound. They were very fast and very quiet, and Sephiroth could only assume they had come from the opposite corridor. He deflected more bullets when they tried to shoot him and he spared a glance at his companion, who was climbing back to his feet.

"Are you injured, Valentine?"

"Not enough to matter," growled the gunman, pulling his hand away from his right side as he readied his gun.

Sephiroth saw the blood, but since the man seemed to shrug it off, he didn't let it concern him overly. Once again, they battled their enemies together, and as they fought for an advantage, more Deepground operatives arrived from the corridor they had been trying to traverse before. Evidently, word was out that two intruders were in the reactor.

* * *

From that moment on, Sephiroth and Vincent had to fight for every step they took. At one point, Vincent felt a warning stir within him and he feared Chaos would come out. He somehow held him back and the entity faded again, by the time he and Sephiroth finally made it to the control room.

"Seal the door," ordered Sephiroth, staring at the still figure of the shirtless man lying on the floor. "I believe this is Weiss."

Vincent shut the door and activated the locking mechanism. He looked down at the Tsviet Sephiroth was standing over, and he frowned. "Is he dead?"

The general shook his head uncertainly, and he prepared to check for a pulse. He heard the crackle of energy behind him as he knelt and he twisted back to his feet, sword readied. He got the chance to see a black void manifest around Vincent before the gunman vanished into thin air.

"Valentine?"

* * *

"I've lost Valentine."

The report sufficiently destroyed Reeve's concentration, and he stopped monitoring the helicopter's computer systems and adjusted his headpiece. Surely he'd misheard. He was supposed to be on communications silence unless he had important information to convey, in order to keep the channel open for military personnel to coordinate their attacks and defense. He couldn't let this go, however. His heart pounded as Reeve spoke into his transmitter. "I'm sorry General, but could you repeat that?"

"I've lost visual and communications with Valentine," answered Sephiroth.

"How?" That question came from Lazard.

"I suspect Nero the Sable has him," replied the General. I've located Weiss. He's unconscious."

"Where could Nero have taken him?" Reeve asked, hardly giving a damn about Weiss.

"Tuesti, stop cluttering up this channel with your questions," ordered Rufus. "I'm sure if the General knew that information, he would relay it to us. Sephiroth, finish Weiss off. We aren't taking any Tsviet prisoners; they're too dangerous…especially _that_ man."

"Understood."

Reeve clenched his jaw and glared daggers at the cockpit. Of course, the president was right. Sephiroth would have told them if he knew where Vincent was, and Reeve was confident that he would try and locate him, once he finished his task. Still, it was so very hard to sit there helplessly while Gaia only knew what Nero was doing to Vincent.

* * *

Sephiroth was prepared to decapitate the seemingly oblivious Tsviet, when that same crackle of energy manifested behind him again. He backed away from the black void that formed, fully expecting it to come after him. Instead, two raven-haired men came falling out of it, landing roughly on the tiled floor. Vincent got painfully to his feet and Sephiroth went to help him. The gunman looked a bit worse for the wear and banged up, and he was bleeding in several places.

"I'm…all right," insisted Vincent, his gaze going to Nero. The Tsviet also got to his feet, and he was in worse shape than Vincent.

"Brother," Nero murmured, limping over to Weiss. He manifested another nimbus of darkness when Sephiroth started toward him. "Don't. My darkness may not be able to absorb the host, but I'm sure you're a different matter. Stay back."

"We fought," offered Vincent in explanation when Sephiroth looked at him curiously. "My connection with Chaos has made me immune to Nero's powers, so he chose to duel me, instead."

"And you won," guessed the general in satisfaction. He turned his attention to the defeated man. "Nero the Sable, you and your brother Weiss the Immaculate are both charged with conspiracy to destroy our planet. Resist if you must, but I have orders to execute you for your crimes. If you surrender, it may be possible to procure a more lenient sentence of life in prison, instead. The choice is yours."

The fury in those blood-red eyes could have killed, if it were possible for a glare to do so. "We won't be chained again. Not by you, not by _anyone_. Weiss will be reborn and we'll rid the world of all of you!"

"So be it," answered Sephiroth, readying his blade. "Even if your darkness defeats me, I'm sure my companion will deal with you."

Nero looked like he wanted to say something else, but Weiss stirred at his feet, distracting him. He knelt before his brother, keeping a wary eye on Sephiroth and Vincent.

"Weiss, I'm here." Nero helped him to sit up and for a moment, the other Tsviet looked around in confusion, his spiky white locks nearly covering both pale, intense eyes. He looked at Vincent, and a cold, conniving smile grew on his lips.

"How…convenient. You've brought Chaos here. The last piece has fallen into place."

Vincent stared at him oddly, and Sephiroth also watched the man with a nagging sense of recognition. Something about his mannerisms were very…familiar. He observed him closely, gauging the likelihood of taking him by surprise, even as he tried to put his finger on what was troubling him.

"Chaos won't assist you," Vincent assured him, while Sephiroth puzzled it over. "He doesn't answer to mortals."

"He'll answer to us with the Protomateria, fool. I have it safely hidden and I'm ready to use it." He turned his icy gaze to his brother as Nero helped him to his feet. "Thank you, Nero. I have no further use for you."

Nero didn't get the opportunity to ask him what he meant. The surprised shock on his face when his brother plunged his hand into his chest said it all, and the look in his eyes said that the unexpected betrayal hurt more than the attack. Weiss hurled his brother across the room—directly into Vincent. Already injured from his recent fight with Nero, Vincent crashed to the floor and struck his head. Both of them lay still in a jumble of limbs, and blood began to pool on the floor beneath them. It was difficult to say whose blood it was.

Sephiroth wasted no time. He rushed Weiss wordlessly, with his masamune leading the way.

"Foolish boy," muttered Weiss, and as he closed in on him, Sephiroth finally figured out what was so familiar.

"So, _this _is where Hojo's artificial intelligence went. It's inside of you." Sephiroth grunted as Weiss dodged his attack.

"Very good," approved Weiss. "I've always said you had a sharp mind…almost _too_ sharp. I entered Weiss while he was in a SND, attempting to find a cure for the failsafe virus he activated when he killed his restrictor. Thanks to that, I was able to orchestrate Jenova's plan, even though my physical form is locked away in your prison."

It was disturbing on a monumental level, to hear Hojo's words coming from the Tsviet's mouth and listen to him talking about himself that way. Sephiroth knew it wasn't the _real_ Hojo…just an artificial entity with all of his ambitions, personality and genius. The fact that it was in the body of the most powerful Tsviet in Deepground made it far more dangerous than the real Hojo.

Sephiroth made another pass, searching for an opening. Weiss moved with astonishing speed and the general grunted as his sudden kick connected, hitting him in the ribs and knocking him into the wall behind him.

"I'd rather not fight you, boy," Weiss/Hojo informed, "but I can't allow you to interfere with my plans."

The ground began to tremble, and a piece of the ceiling broke off and fell as a crack spread over it. Sephiroth regained his balance and circled his opponent, respecting the damage he could do.

"It's starting, Weiss/Hojo said with glee. "Can't you feel it?"

Yes, he _could_ feel it. There was a being of great power wakening…a divine form meant to rise only as the planet's last defense against total destruction. Without taking his eyes off his opponent, Sephiroth activated his transmitter.

"All units, abandon your posts. Get out of Midgar, now."

In the blink of an eye, Weiss was in his face and before Sephiroth could report further on the situation, he tore his headset off and grabbed him by the throat. The device clattered to the floor and Sephiroth tried to strike out at Weiss with his sword, but the bigger man clamped an iron-strong hand over his wrist and stopped him.

"The great Sephiroth," said Weiss through madly smiling teeth. "I've always wondered what it must be like to be you, boy. To have your strength, and skill. My body would have never withstood the enhancements I gave you, though."

He lifted Sephiroth against the wall, his eyes wild with power and exhilaration. "How does it feel, boy? Now you're the weak one."

"I disagree," coughed Sephiroth, grasping the possessed man's wrist with one hand. "I'm merely temporarily inconvenienced."

He proved his point by demonstrating that there was nothing weak about his kick. His knee struck Weiss hard in the groin, drawing a pained, shocked gasp from him. The Tsviet abruptly let go of Sephiroth and staggered back, cupping his abused parts.

"Never assume I won't fight dirty, when it suits me," Sephiroth informed as he rubbed his throat and prepared for another attack.

As the tremors grew worse, he activated the Barrier materia in his bangle and he considered his options. He couldn't afford to get predictable against this opponent. He saw Vincent stir from the corner of his eye and he hoped the gunman was right about Chaos—though now that Omega was waking, it probably no longer mattered.

* * *

Vincent was facing a different sort of struggle as Sephiroth faced off against the mind-controlled Tsviet again. The masamune carved a huge gash in the floor as Weiss avoided one of Sephiroth's sword strokes by a narrow margin. Vincent was vaguely aware of Nero's lifeless body on the floor beside him. The tiles were cracking away to reveal a curious, smooth crystal surface beneath.

_~We're inside of it…Omega. It's forming around this facility.~_

Chaos was pushing to come forth and Vincent groaned with the effort to hold him back. He still believed the demon wouldn't cooperate with Deepground, especially now. Finding out that Hojo was in control of Weiss had been a shock to the system, and he was weak from his fight with Nero. His fear wasn't that Chaos would side with Deepground willingly, but that he might try to feed on Sephiroth. Vincent could feel his hunger and his rage. He understood _why_ he was enraged, being connected to him as he was. Chaos was angry that Omega was waking up. He was angry that the enemy had succeeded in manipulating it, and he wanted to teach them a lesson.

"Sephiroth," Vincent called, looking up at the General as he deflected bullets fired from some form of sword/gun combination that Weiss somehow got his hands on, at some point. "You need to leave."

"I'm currently occupied," informed Sephiroth, sounding remarkably calm for a man fighting for his life.

Vincent groaned again, his body pulsing with energy. "Chaos…is coming. Go…get out."

_~"Relinquish control to me, Vincent."~_

The gunman shook his head. "Can't….trust you." His hands curled into fists, the clawed points of his gauntlet scratching the smooth, crystalline floor.

_~"You have no choice."~_ The mental voice was darkly amused. _~"I will have my vengeance, with or without your cooperation."~_

Vincent's thoughts went to Reeve. _~"Can you stop it?"~_

~"Omega? Possibly. I've never tried. I never agreed to your friend's proposal either, Vincent. What I want now is to rip this mortal's spine from his body."~

Desperate now, Vincent reminded him of Reeve's warning. _~"Omega is under Hojo's control. If you don't stop it, what Reeve Tuesti told you will come true. There will never be a balance again, and there will never be humans—true humans—in any form."~_

He could practically feel Chaos turning the notion over in his head. He took hope in the demon's hesitation and he tried to be patient. Sephiroth was holding his own against Weiss, but Vincent could see that he was tiring. Had he the time to rest after battling his way into the reactor, Sephiroth might have done better. Vincent had truly never seen a more brilliant swordsman before, and Weiss putting him on defensive was proof that the Tsviet was probably the strongest living being on the planet. Chaos could very well be the only one that could defeat him.

_~"I make no promises,"~_ Chaos informed him at last, _~"but it would not be to my advantage if humanity perishes completely. Give me control, my dark one."~_

The last was said in an almost caressing tone, and Vincent felt his control slipping steadily away. He gave Sephiroth one last, concerned look before giving in.

* * *

Reeve stepped out of the chopper with the others when it finished touching down and the hatch was open. He looked up at the skyline, his jaw dropping at the sight of the being with the huge wings rising over the city of Midgar. Now it became clear why Sephiroth ordered everyone to evacuate.

"Omega is preparing to ascend," Reeve said, his heart sinking. The creature was awe-inspiring, looking somewhat humanoid but lacking mortal features. It was bio-mechanical in nature, though not built by human hands. It was beautiful in its angelic appearance, but Reeve couldn't appreciate that beauty when it heralded the end of the world.

The mission had failed and it was highly probable that both Vincent and Sephiroth had perished. Up ahead of him, he recognized the other winged SOLDIER officers and Zack. He came up beside them, taking notice of their bruises and the blood drying on their uniforms and skin.

"Did either of you see Sephiroth or Vincent while you were down there, before you left?"

"No," answered Angeal with a shake of his head. "We lost communication with them after the order was issued. Genesis and I barely got out in time. The lift collapsed from the tremors and if it weren't for our ability to fly, we'd both be trapped down there with the rest of Deepground, now."

Reeve lowered his gaze, hoping in his heart of hearts that there was still some chance they could still be alive. "Well, at least you lads made it."

Genesis snorted. "Much good as that will do us now. That thing is starting to draw upon the Lifestream through the Mako reactors."

"Should'a listened to us," Grunted Barret, standing by the Highwind next to Cid. "I always knew those damned reactors were bad news!"

"Perhaps we'd have been better off if your group had succeeded in blowing them up," Lazard observed. "They're only bringing the end faster."

"Whatever we do now is too little, too late," Rufus said.

"Yeah, looks like we're boned," Reno agreed. He looked at Tseng. "Too bad ya didn't get the chance to have your honeymoon, boss. Ow." He rubbed his arm when Elena popped him.

"Hold on," Zack said with excitement, pointing toward the city. "Anybody else see that? I think it's Sephiroth."

Reeve dug a pair of automated goggles out of his jacket, slipping them on quickly. He made an adjustment and they magnified his vision like a pair of binoculars. His heart pounded with renewed hope when he recognized the winged form flying toward them from the city. He searched the night sky for any signs of another familiar form, but he found no evidence of Vincent Valentine.

"It's Sephiroth," Reeve announced.

* * *

It was difficult to describe the titanic battle he'd witnessed the start of, inside of Omega. Sephiroth still believed that given enough time, he could have defeated Weiss. However, Chaos was the only one that might be able to stop Omega and when the demon took over Vincent and informed him that he intended to try, Sephiroth didn't argue with him. Weiss/Hojo had been thrilled by his appearance, but his excitement was quickly stomped when he attempted to use the stolen Protomateria to compel Chaos. Evidently, possessing a conscious mind allowed Chaos to resist the control—at least when the protomateria wasn't literally fused with the person seeking to control him. Weiss attacked him when he realized he couldn't control him, and the demon moved with equal speed to retaliate.

Sephiroth landed amongst his comrades and he overheard part of what Rufus and Scarlet were saying to each other. "Contact our people in Junon and instruct them to initiate emergency protocols," Rufus was saying. "Citizens will be moved to the bomb shelters for protection."

"That won't matter, if this continues," Sephiroth said. "Leave them in ignorance, President. It would be kinder not to cause a panic."

Rufus looked at him and parted his lips to argue, but then he shook his head and sighed.

Zack approached with Genesis and Angeal, wearing a big smile of relief on his face. "You made it out! What about Vincent?"

Sephiroth looked back at the city and the enormous, winged figure hovering over it, sucking Lifestream through crystalline tendrils. "He's inside of that creature. I don't want to bring false hope, but there could be a chance the end can be averted."

"Oh?" Genesis tilted his head. "How, exactly? Are you proposing a direct assault on that thing?"

"No." Sephiroth shook his head. "It wouldn't help us. Omega has some form of invisible shield around it, and I doubt even our strongest weapons can penetrate it."

"Then how did _you_ make it out of there?" demanded Scarlet with a frown.

"By the skin of my teeth," admitted the general. "Omega hadn't completely manifested when I escaped. When I realized Valentine was likely to get trapped in there, I tried to turn back but the creature completed forming and I couldn't return."

"So Vincent's still alive," Reeve said, his dark gaze staring up at Omega. "Somewhere inside."

"As Chaos," agreed Sephiroth. "I don't know what manner of conversation the two of you shared, Tuesti, but you seem to have convinced him that it's better for the world not to end, tonight. He claims he's going to stop this."

"We're expected to trust that creature?" Rufus said.

Sephiroth gave him an annoyed look. "Our other option would be to bend over and grab our ankles."

Rufus lapsed into silence.

* * *

While Chaos battled Weiss inside of Omega, Reeve came up with a plan to slow Omega's progress. He ordered teams to go back into the city and destroy the Mako reactors, to stop the creature from drawing on them to drain the Lifestream faster. It seemed to do some good, but the rest was up to Chaos and Vincent. Reeve silently prayed as they watched and waited. For a while, it seemed like Chaos must have failed against Weiss, but then he broke free of Omega and hovered there before it.

"Come on, Vincent," Reeve begged under his breath. "Convince him to keep going…it's all up to the two of you, now."

Chaos stayed there for a moment, and Reeve could see the snarl on his face as he zoomed in with his goggles. He appeared to be struggling with some primal urges…perhaps finding it difficult to bring himself to attack a being he was meant to work with. There was really no way to guess what was happening inside Chaos' head, and Reeve started to get a sinking feeling that perhaps Chaos _couldn't_ attack Omega, after all. The gigantic wings began to flap and it was with great horror that Reeve came to the realization that it was preparing to leave…and take the Lifestream and all hope of survival with it.

Something happened then that confused the hell out of him and other witnesses, however. It appeared that part of the Lifestream drifting around Omega broke away from the rest of it and touched Chaos. The demon's expression relaxed as though soothed by the contact, and then Chaos flew straight up, arched over Omega and dove directly down into it. People were forced to shield their eyes as Omega lit up like a holiday tree. The light was blinding and it radiated outwards over the sky, temporarily turning night into false day.

There was an explosion and then, Omega seemed to evaporate before their eyes. The Lifestream withdrew back into the ground, and the sky slowly cleared again.

"Where the hell is Valentine?" Reno asked, the first to recover from the confusion of the moment. "Did he blow up with that thing or what?"

The thought prompted Reeve into action. While the survivors of the strike cheered at the confirmation that the danger was over with, Reeve Tuesti began to run toward Midgar. He ignored Zack's call warning him that there could still be enemies in the city, driven by a desperate need to find out if his friend still lived.

"Goddamn it," swore Sephiroth, startling those around him. He looked to his fellow officers. "Come on. He could get himself killed, if there are any insurgents left in there."

Genesis and Angeal took wing with him and Zack hitched a ride on Angeal's back.

"Tuesti," Sephiroth called as he landed in front of the engineer and stopped him, "Do _not_ go in there without us."

"You're the only company suit worth saving," Genesis added as he joined them.

"Hey, Lazard's okay," Zack pointed out as he and Angeal landed. Seeing that Reeve was in no mood for jokes, Zack tempered his sense of humor. "Sorry. We'll help you look for him, Reeve. He's got to be in there somewhere."

Genesis exchanged a look with Angeal and Sephiroth raised a brow at both of them, silently warning them not to say out loud what was obviously on their minds. If Chaos was inside of Omega when it evaporated, there was a good chance that both he and Vincent were gone.

* * *

"Vincent! Vincent Valentine!"

The familiar voice shouting his name dragged him painfully out of his swoon. He groaned in pain when he tried to move, and it occurred to him that he was lying in a bed of broken rubble. He tried to get up, only to fall to his knees again with a grunt of discomfort. A beam of light flashed against his shoulder and then settled on his face, blinding him. Vincent lifted his gauntlet to shade his eyes from the harsh light.

"Here! I found him!" It was Zack Fair's voice.

The beam of light began to bounce and come closer, but then it abruptly dropped with a clatter and Vincent saw the outline of a spiky-haired man go down with a yelp. He saw another male figure coming up behind the fallen SOLDIER operative and if he weren't in so much pain, he almost could have smiled. Reeve jumped right over Zack's prone form and it was a wonder that he could see well enough by starlight not to trip over the same rubble that brought Zack down. He held a flashlight in his hand as well, and Vincent was again blinded when he shone it in his face.

"Vincent! Thank God! Are you okay?"

"I would be better if you would get that light out of my face," answered the gunman tiredly.

"Oh, sorry." Reeve put the light down and he squatted by Vincent. "Anything broken? I've got Cure materia but if you need any bones set, we've got to let the medics look at you."

"Nothing's broken," assured Vincent. He sighed in relief as Reeve activated the spell materia and the soothing glow settled over him, healing his injuries and soothing the aches and pains. "Thank you."

"I'm fine, by the way." Zack approached, dusting his hands off on his pants. "Thanks for the concern. I really felt the love when you jumped over me, Tuesti."

"Vincent was inside of a WEAPON," retorted Reeve, "you tripped over a rock. I had to prioritize."

The others joined them as Reeve helped Vincent to his feet. Sephiroth looked the gunman over curiously. "Do you need medical attention, Mr. Valentine?"

"No," answered Vincent. "Reeve has already seen to my injuries. I just need to rest."

"Of course," enthused Reeve, smiling broadly. "I'll have you set up with pillows and blankets from the cargo bay, once we board the chopper. You can sleep on the way home and take all the rest you need when we get there, too. I'll make sure nobody hassles you for a report until you're good and ready to give it."

"I should give it now," sighed Vincent, "while it's still fresh on my mind. My memories of events when Chaos takes over blur quickly."

"All right, if that's what you want. I'll call for a chopper to pick us up, now." Reeve turned and began to adjust his transmitter, but he nearly tripped over the same spot Zack had. He cursed and shone his flashlight on it, only to go still.

"That wasn't rubble you tripped on earlier, Zack. It was a body."

Fortunately it was a Deepground operative and not one of their own, but it was a sobering reminder that they still had to tally up the body count and make a list of who wouldn't be returning home to their families.

* * *

Vincent gave his report as soon as they made it back to the strike teams. He explained that while Chaos did defeat Weiss in combat, he didn't get the chance to take his life. Weiss somehow shook off Hojo's influence after losing the fight, and he sacrificed himself to Omega—at least, that was how Vincent saw it. He had no idea that Nero's spirit approached Weiss and merged with him, helping him to purge Hojo from his mind. After that, Chaos broke free from Omega's body and that was when he slipped. Because he hadn't fed and was going against his own nature, Chaos nearly didn't have the will to complete his task. Together, he and Vincent found the strength to do, and as it turned out, Reeve's decision to have the reactors destroyed helped weaken Omega.

They didn't return immediately to Junon. Instead, they set up camp and in the morning, they set off to the grim task of retrieving and identifying their dead. They were welcomed as heroes when they returned to Junon later that evening, and there were celebrations in the streets for days. People were so relieved to know the world would go on, even the last rites for the dead had a celebratory feeling to it. The men and women who gave their lives to save the world would be honored for years to come. The SOLDIER operatives who were once regarded with fear and suspicion over their unique, altered biology were treated as beloved heroes of the people once more.

* * *

A week after the Omega incident, Vincent shared something with Reeve that he'd deliberately left out of his official reports.

"I wasn't completely honest when I said Chaos and I 'found the strength' to go on," he confessed, stopping before Reeve's office window. He looked out at the city below, contemplatively.

"Oh?" Reeve looked up from his computer screen. "Then what really happened? I saw you…I mean Chaos…hesitate."

"Lucrecia came to me," answered Vincent, turning to regard him again. "She came out of the Lifestream and she helped me gain some control. Chaos…wouldn't have been able to complete his task on his own. She must have known that."

Reeve stared at him. "I…see."

"You don't believe me."

"I didn't say that," corrected Reeve. He got out of his chair and approached the gunman. 'If you say you saw her, then you must have seen her. Whether she was really _there_ or in your head is a question I can't know the answer to."

"She was there," insisted Vincent. "I know you think I simply found the strength myself and imagined her, but she was real. Lucrecia made it possible."

Reeve nodded slowly, knowing better than to argue with him. "Then I suppose we owe her a great deal of thanks."

Vincent regarded him suspiciously for a moment, wondering if he was teasing. Seeing the sincere expression on Reeve's handsome, bearded face, he relaxed. "Maybe now, she can rest in peace."

"Maybe," agreed the engineer. "What about you, Vincent? Has this brought you any peace?"

Vincent lowered his eyes. "I wish I could say it did, but no. The protomateria is gone now and I have no control over when Chaos manifests. His efforts against Omega exhausted him, but he'll return one day, and soon."

"We'll find a way to deal with it," promised Reeve.

"I know one way you could deal with it," suggested Vincent, lifting his eyes off the floor to look at him with an odd intensity.

"And that way would be?"

"Does your science department still make use of stasis tanks?"

Reeve's expression said he didn't like where this was going. The stasis tanks were reserved for the most severe injuries, to help patients recover from near-death trauma or keep them alive when all other methods weren't likely to succeed. "Yes, we still have them."

"Put me in one. If I'm in stasis, Chaos can't return."

"No." Reeve shook his head. "That's not an acceptable way to deal with this."

"Why not?"

The executive threw his hands up in exasperation. "Because you'll be in _stasis_, that's why! It's like inducing a coma indefinitely. You might as well ask me to kill you!"

"I would still be alive," objected Vincent. "I'm not asking you to help me commit suicide, Reeve. I'm asking you to protect yourself and let me sleep."

"But you're still sacrificing yourself," argued Reeve. "Vincent, you're my friend. It's bad enough that you keep trying to crawl back into your coffin, but at least when you do that I can come knocking to wake you up."

"You could still wake me up, if the situation ever warrants it," reminded Vincent. "Reeve…I'm tired."

"But—"

"I'm _tired_, Reeve." Vincent put his hands on his friend's shoulders and gazed into his eyes, willing him to understand. "I'm world-weary. I've lived through things no normal man could survive, and now I'm always going to be at the mercy of this entity inside of me. I can control the others, but not Chaos. You wouldn't just be doing this for your own safety. It would be a personal favor to me."

Reeve visibly struggled with himself, obviously torn. Finally, he sighed and abruptly embraced the taller man, hugging him tightly. "Dammit, Vince."

It was Vincent's turn to stand indecisive. He didn't quite know what to do. He and Reeve had exchanged friendly pats on occasion, but this was the first time they'd ever hugged. The last person to ever embrace him had been Lucrecia. It felt good to be in a warm, human embrace again and Vincent slowly and hesitantly returned it. He almost smiled against Reeve's hair, appreciating his friendship and loyalty.

"Thank you, Reeve."

* * *

The next day, Reeve escorted his friend to the labs. He stopped as they approached the stasis tank that he'd had prepared for him and he turned to the woman in the lab coat.

"I can take it from here, doctor. Please give my friend and I a moment alone."

She nodded and adjusted her wire-framed glasses. "Of course, Commissioner. Call out if you need any help. I'll see to it that you aren't disturbed, otherwise."

"Thank you." He waited for her to leave and once the door slid shut, he sighed heavily and looked to his friend. "You're _absolutely sure_ about this? There's no chance I can change your mind?"

"I've made my decision," assured Vincent, "and I think it's best for everyone."

Reeve wanted to tell him it wasn't the best choice for _him_. He wanted to tell him how unfair it was, that he might never get to talk to him or touch him again. He wanted to finally tell him that he loved him, but he knew how selfish it would be of him to burden his friend that way. Vincent had _earned_ his rest and he was right; they couldn't control Chaos or guarantee that he wouldn't hurt someone, the next time he came out.

"I'm going to miss you terribly, my friend," Reeve confessed, feeling safe in at least admitting that much.

"I'll miss you too."

Reeve forced a chuckle. "Actually, you won't. You won't notice time passing at all."

"Then I suppose I get the better deal." Vincent's gaze softened on him. "I'll never forget you, my friend."

For a horrible moment, Reeve thought he was about to start crying. He blinked and cleared his throat, looking away to conceal the moisture threatening to gather in his eyes. "Excuse me," he mumbled when he felt composed enough. "I had a tickle in my—"

When Reeve turned to face Vincent again, he found himself looking up at Chaos, instead. "—Throat. Oh, shit."

There had been no warning; visible, verbal or otherwise. It was like the entity just shut Vincent down and took over before the gunman even knew what was happening. The cold expression on the supernatural face told Reeve that Chaos knew everything, and his life began to flash before his eyes.

"Just so you know, this wasn't my idea," Reeve informed him, somehow standing his ground even though he wanted to run screaming from the room.

"I'm aware of whose idea this was," Chaos answered, his yellow gaze sliding up and down Reeve's form. "I was not consulted, however."

"That's…well, that was rude of us, but you must understand that—"

"I understand that my reward for saving your miserable species is to be trapped indefinitely in a state of hibernation, again. You are as ungrateful as you are weak."

"There's no need for insults," Reeve dared to chastise. "We're _very_ grateful for what you've done, but you have to understand, Vincent is suffering and as a being that feeds on people's souls—"

"Spirit energy," corrected the demon, crossing his arms over his armored chest. "I could not actually consume the human spirit if I wanted to. Your souls are your own, until your bodies expire and you return to Gaia. The energy they produce is another story."

"Okay, the energy, then," allowed Reeve. "Pardon my mistake. My point is, I'm standing in the room with someone that could basically _eat me_. You could drain me to death, if you wanted to."

"Yes, I could." The hunger in those eyes as they caressed him made Reeve think he'd made a mistake, pointing that little fact out.

"Uh, you could, but then you wouldn't have me to snack on later," he said hastily. "Look, this isn't about insulting you or seeming ungrateful. This is about Vincent finding some peace and me trying to protect humans from being culled. It's really nothing personal."

"Your reasons don't matter, if I choose not to cooperate."

Reeve backed up a step as Chaos loomed over him, spreading his wings. One of them bumped a nearby equipment tray and the clash of a metal instrument hitting the floor made Reeve jump a little. "Well…would you consider cooperating?"

Chaos went still and for a second, his face betrayed a flash of amazement. "You really do have substantial nerve, human."

"I'm just trying to be polite," insisted Reeve. "You were angry because we never asked you, so I'm asking you now. Will you sleep with your host, Chaos?"

Realizing how that sounded, he quickly corrected himself. "I don't mean _sleep with him_, sleep with him. I mean hibernate. You won't even notice the time passing, and you won't feel any hunger."

"And why should I do this?"

Reeve took a shot in the dark. "Because you don't like it here. Aside from the occasional human snack, this dimension bores you."

Chaos titled his spiked head. "You sound certain of that. Do you believe your human mind can possibly comprehend how I feel or think?"

"No, of course not," answered Reeve, "but I'm an observant man. I may not know what goes through your head, but I know what I've seen. Am I wrong?"

He thought the demon might not answer him, but after thinking it over, he looked at the waiting stasis tank. "If you aren't being truthful with me about this…thing…I will break free and hunt you down, engineer."

Reeve blinked. "Then…you'll do it?"

"If for no reason than to escape the hunger, I will." Chaos regarded him with eyes that burned with unholy lust. "I'm tempted to taste you before I sleep."

"Oh." Reeve didn't much care for the idea of being 'tasted', but if it would help convince Chaos to do this…

"Well, I guess I can't fault you for wanting a bedtime snack." He dropped his arms and shut his eyes. "I won't fight you. I owe you one, anyway."

He sensed his approach and he tried not to stiffen as he felt the entity's hot breath sigh over his lips. Reeve had no idea what to expect, but given the size of Chaos' canines, he half expected him to bite him like a vampire. Maybe he gathered the spirit energy by drinking the blood. He braced himself for the sting of fangs, but to his surprise, it never came.

"If you still exist on this plane when I wake again, I may claim you," Chaos informed him, stepping away. "I'm certain I'll kill you now if I taste you. I won't wish to stop feeding until you're utterly spent in my arms."

Inappropriate, dirty thoughts popped into Reeve's head in response to that last sentence, even though he knew that by "spent", Chaos meant "dead".

"I…wouldn't want you to do that. You have my gratitude, Chaos."

* * *

When it was taken care of, Reeve reported it to Lazard. The SOLDIER director looked confused as he stared up at him with a frown on his lips. "And he actually _agreed_ to it?"

"Well yes," answered Reeve. "It isn't like I could have stuffed him into the tank against his will, Lazard. Chaos willingly allowed the procedure and now he's safely stored in the stasis lab. We should restrict access to only the highest clearance levels, of course."

"We will," promised Lazard. He noticed how unhappy Reeve looked and he offered some sympathy. "I know you're close to Mr. Valentine, Reeve. This was a smart decision, though. We have no idea what else Chaos is capable of and this way, we know where he is at all times and your friend is safe."

Reeve nodded, not much comforted by the observation. "I think I'll go cheer myself up by gloating at Hojo for his failure. You don't object to that, do you?"

Lazard smirked. "If anyone deserves to deliver the 'bad news' to him, it's you. Enjoy yourself, Reeve."

* * *

-To be continued


	25. Chapter 25

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter twenty-five: Unions

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters._**

* * *

_One month after the fall of Omega:_

Yuffie Kisaragi was not agreeing to this because she wanted to get married. She wasn't agreeing to it because she wanted to carry on the family bloodline and govern her people in her father's place. She was agreeing to this wedding simply because it was Godo's dying wish. She knelt at his bedside and held his withered hand, staring down at him as his breath rattled in his lungs.

"I'll marry him, Old Goat," she said huskily. "You win. I'll never love him, but I'll marry the turd."

Godo stared blankly up at the ceiling, struggling to draw air into his tortured lungs. It appeared as though he hadn't even heard her, but his eyes flicked to her and he gave her a grimace through his clear oxygen mask that could have passed for a smile in his emaciated state. She brought his hand to her cheek and bit back tears. The doctors had made him as comfortable as possible and it wouldn't be long now. She felt a presence at her back and she turned her head to look up at her fiancé. It wasn't that she found Tseng unattractive. Though he was older by her youthful standards, he was actually pretty hot. He wore his silken, raven hair long and straight past his shoulders, sometimes tying it back into a ponytail. His features were aristocratically sculpted and quite handsome. His lips were sensitive looking and his eyes were like black velvet.

It was his terribly boring, monotone personality that really irked her. The man didn't seem to have any layers—or if he did, he kept them hidden so well that she doubted she'd ever peel them away to find the real Tseng. She supposed it had something to do with his career choice. After all, being the leader of the Turks probably required a tight reign on his emotions. He was just so…_boring_.

"W-what do you want?" She wiped at her eyes hastily and sniffed, trying to hide her vulnerability behind a tough front. She resented him for coming, even though she knew he _had_ to come to Wutai, so that they could take their vows.

"I want to pay my respects," answered Tseng in his low, soft voice. He knelt beside her and looked down at the once great leader of Wutai. "Godo, Sir. I've come as requested. I will honor our agreement."

Godo nodded weakly, unable to talk. Yuffie eased his hand down and stood up, motioning Tseng to follow her. The Turk director obliged and they exited the room together. Once the sliding, wood and paper door was shut behind them, she took a deep breath and looked up at him. She needed to try and be mature about this, or he'd never take her seriously. Yuffie, however, was still quite young and in her mind, she was about to lose her freedom to this man.

"I agreed to do this so that he could go out proud of me," she explained in a whisper, "and to give him some comfort. I _still_ think the contract you two signed behind my back is stupid and the practice is sexist and outdated."

"I understand." His voice and face were void of emotion or expression.

She compressed her lips in annoyance, spurred by the desire to get _some kind_ of reaction from him, even anger. "I won't love you."

Those sensitive looking lips quirked, ever so briefly. "It's an arranged union, Yuffie. Love was never a requirement for either of us."

She huffed. "And no sex."

_That_ got a reaction from him. Leave it a man to shrug at love, but get upset over being denied a bun for his sausage. "Pardon me?"

"I think I said it clearly enough," she answered, hiding a smug grin of satisfaction. "No sex. I don't know you and I don't like you, so—"

"How can you say whether you like me or not, if you don't know me?" reasoned Tseng with an elegantly arched brow.

Yuffie lost her train of thought and sputtered, before recovering. "I just don't, okay? You've got as much personality as a stick in the mud and besides, you're old."

The Turk's mouth twitched again and he cleared his throat. "Old, am I? I'm haven't earned a wrinkle or a gray hair yet, and I'm in better shape than any of the men your age in this city. You're behaving like a brat."

"Whatever. Those are my terms, so you'd better get used to them." She looked over her shoulder at the door, all too aware that each breath could be Godo's last. "Now if you'll excuse me, I want to be alone with my father. There isn't much time left."

Incredibly, Tseng's impassive expression softened into one of quiet sympathy. "Of course." He gave her a little bow of respect.

She was a little confused by the way the change of expression made her heart flutter, and she deigned to escape his presence quickly. As she started to pull the door open, Tseng murmured one last question that gave her pause.

"Yuffie, if you and I never have marital relations, how do you expect to produce an heir?"

"Maybe I don't expect to 'produce' one at all," she said, not looking back at him. "I'm not worried about that right now."

Tseng didn't argue further.

* * *

Godo Kisaragi passed away the next morning, at dawn. Despite Yuffie's vehement proclamations from the night before concerning her dislike of Tseng, when he knelt beside her at Godo's bed and put a hand on her shoulder, she turned to him and cried against his chest. He put his arms around her and though she still maintained that he was a complete bore, she allowed herself to be comforted by his embrace. It wasn't even a conscious decision on her part; she just wanted something to hide her face against as she cried, until she could compose herself.

"Okay," she said after a while between hitching gasps. "That's…enough. I'll be all right."

She pulled away from him and she blindly took the hanky someone offered her, blowing her nose with an un-ladylike trumpet. She sniffed when she was finished and she wiped her streaming eyes. She looked down at her father's body and she drew a shuddering breath.

"The wedding will happen this weekend," she announced, ignoring the soft weeping of her father's house attendants. "After we've honored my father's spirit and performed ceremonial rites. Start getting his shrine ready, while I prepare his body."

Tseng murmured an offer that surprised her. "Would you like me to assist you?"

Yuffie looked sidelong at him and bit her lip, her wide brown eyes uncertain. It would be a comfort to have someone with her when she did it, but it went against custom. It was up to the family to bathe, anoint, dress and wrap the body of deceased loved ones, and she was all the family left to Godo. So often while he was alive, Yuffie defied customs and argued against her father. These were his death rites, however. He deserved all the respect she could give.

"No. This is my duty as his daughter. I'll see it through."

"Very well." There was a hint of admiration in his dark eyes. "I'll leave you to your task."

* * *

As scheduled, there was a week of mourning in Wutai, followed by the celebration of the union between the princess and the groom her father had chosen for her. Rufus Shinra arrived in Wutai with some of the Turks to attend the ceremony. As they gathered in the beautiful garden outside the wedding shrine of Wutai, they marveled over the hanging paper lanterns, the exotic kimonos and hair ornaments worn by participants, and the drone of Wutaian musical instruments being played.

"I've never been to a Wutaian wedding before," whispered Cissnei a tad nervously to her blonde companion. She smoothed the peach satin dress she wore self-consciously. "I feel so out of place!"

Elena smiled at her and took her hand, giving it a little squeeze. She wore an azure blue gown that dipped low in the back, but covered her front up to the neck. Both styles were very different from the current fashion in Wutai, and they were getting curious stares from the native residents.

"Trust me, there's nothing wrong with the way you look," assured Elena in a whisper. The coiled bun was a tasteful and pretty style on Cissnei, and the spiraled ringlets hanging down on either side of her temples complimented it. Elena herself had the sides of her flaxen hair pinned back with blue butterfly ornaments.

"You know what we should do before we leave?" Cissnei whispered back.

Elena guessed where she was going before she had to say it. "Shop."

Cissnei grinned. "Until we drop."

Tseng arrived and as he walked to the center of the gathering to stand with the monk, who would be directing the vows.

"Oh, doesn't he look handsome?" Cissnei openly admired the sight of Tseng in a black kimono with red lotus blossom prints. He wore a ceremonial sword at his belt and his hair was pulled back on the sides and pinned with onyx combs, the rest falling free down his back.

Elena chuckled. "You are the worst lesbian _ever_."

Cissnei nudged her teasingly. "I haven't been in practice for as long as you. Don't be jealous. You know I love you."

Yuffie arrived in a contrasting Kimono of white and red. Her short-cropped hair was concealed beneath a loose white veil and her delicate face was made up with powder, blush, lipstick and eyeliner. She lifted her kimono as she walked, revealing the tailored wedding sandals on her feet.

"She looks beautiful," enthused Cissnei with a sigh.

"Now you sound properly gay," whispered Elena.

The brunet nudged her again. "Shh…be respectful!"

Maidens clad in red and white kimonos came out of the nearby shrine, carrying trays laden with delicate wooden cups and rounded flasks. Reno winked at one of them as she offered him a cup and filled it with drink, and she blushed through her makeup and lowered her eyes modestly. He watched her go with intrigued blue-green eyes and he sniffed at the cup of sake curiously.

Tseng and Yuffie were both given cups too, as well as the monk presiding over the ceremony. The monk began to sing softly and three other monks carrying swinging incense pendulums walked circles around the couple. Tseng and Yuffie stared into each other eyes as they lifted their cups to their lips and drank. Seeing that the rest of the gathering began to drink when they did, the Turks and their president followed suit.

"Good stuff," approved Reno when he finished his. "Rude, we outta pick some of this up to take home with us."

Rude grunted in agreement and nodded.

The monk said something in the Wutaian tongue that none of the foreign visitors understood, and the newly wedded couple were given what looked like a pair of incense sticks. Tseng and Yuffie approached a statue of Leviathan behind the monk, and they laid the sticks at the base of it. When they finished, the monk said something else and the crowd began to separate. People approached the couple to congratulate them, and Tseng's coworkers and boss were left standing there in confusion.

"Was that it?" Reno asked.

Cissnei began to clap uncertainly, but seeing that nobody else did the same and some people even gave her puzzled looks, she stopped and blushed. She shrugged at her companions helplessly. "I guess they don't applaud or cheer at weddings."

* * *

The reception was conducted with a bit more familiarity, and though they couldn't communicate with many of the other guests, the Turks found their way around the buffet table, trying various samples of the catered food.

"What is this?" asked Rufus as he spooned up a glob of green, paste-like substance from a bowl. "Dip, of some sort?"

Reno was more familiar with Wutaian fair, since he used to order takeout regularly from the restaurant near his old apartment in Midgar. "Yeah, that's what it is, boss. Try it, you'll like it."

Rufus picked up a jumbo shrimp on his plate and smeared it through the substance. "Like this?"

Reno saw the amount he'd coated onto the shrimp and he considered it for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, just like that. It's good stuff."

Never suspecting that he was about to bite into something powerfully spicy, Rufus raised the shrimp to his lips. Tseng approached to speak to them at that moment and when he saw what the president was about to eat, he started to warn him.

"President Shinra, you may not want to—"

It was too late. Rufus took a bite out of the shrimp and the minute the potent wasabi kicked in, his eyes widened beneath ash-blond bangs and he started to cough. Tseng quickly began to pat him on the back and Cissnei hurried over with a cup of sake.

"Here, Sir," offered the young woman.

"What is that?" Tseng asked as Rufus grabbed the cup and poured the liquid into his mouth.

"Rice wine."

"No," Tseng snapped, "that won't help."

Indeed, the alcohol seemed to make it worse and the young president's face turned red as his coughing intensified. Tseng went to the buffet table and procured some coconut milk for him. "Here, try sipping this, Sir."

Rufus took the cup and drank from it, somehow managing not to spit out the food in his mouth. His stance visibly relaxed as the drink soothed the bite of the spicy wasabi, and he grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth when he finished drinking the cup. Reno made himself scarce when the president glared steely daggers at him. Rude stood silently at the buffet table, having watched the entire scene. He hastily looked away when Rufus' gaze flashed at him.

"Are you okay, President Shinra?" Elena questioned as she walked over from the dessert table, holding a bowl of fried icecream in one hand.

Rufus nodded and took a moment to compose himself. Tseng offered him more coconut milk and he took it, sipping at it before speaking. "If he pulls another stunt like this, I'll have him thrown into lockup as soon as we return to Junon."

The girls looked at each other and Rude winced.

"Sir," offered Tseng, "I'm sure he didn't mean any harm. Reno eats wasabi regularly and he's become a bit desensitized to it and other spices, over time."

"He knew it was spicy and he gave me no warning. I practically spit out food in front of all these people, and I won't stand for public humiliation."

Tseng sighed and looked at Rude. "Please let your partner know he's on very thin ice, Rude."

The bald man nodded. "I'll go find Red now."

As Rude took off to locate his partner, Rufus settled down and looked at Tseng's new bride curiously. Yuffie was standing beneath a circle of lantern lights, talking to a group of young women around her age. She was a pretty little thing, even if she had a big mouth. Cissnei and Elena left to watch some traditional dancers near the koi pond, so it was just Rufus and Tseng, for the moment.

"I suppose congratulations are in order," Rufus said, regaining his composure. He offered his hand to Tseng, and the Turk shook it. "Your efforts to ensure diplomatic relations with Wutai are appreciated, Tseng."

Tseng gave a gracious nod. "Thank you, President."

Rufus released his hand and looked over at Yuffie again. "Do you think this arrangement will adapt to your satisfaction, eventually?"

Tseng followed his gaze, his dark eyes appraising and quietly admiring on his pretty little wife. "I really don't know, Sir. Only time will tell."

Rufus smirked and took two cups of sake from a serving maiden when she passed by and offered it. He offered one to Tseng and raised his in a toast. "To your health."

Tseng tapped his cup against Rufus' and returned his smirk. "Gods willing, my bride and I won't kill one another."

* * *

While Tseng and Yuffie were forming their reluctant alliance in Wutai, Lazard had already formed one of a different sort in Junon. After the Omega conflict, Barret Wallace and his surviving AVALANCHE operatives returned to their base, at Ft. Condor. Having helped orchestrate his release from the Junon prison, Lazard was privy to this information—as were Captain Highwind, Reeve and the SOLDIER officers. They kept the information quiet because they didn't trust Rufus and the Turks not to go after them, despite Rufus' promise that no further charges would be leveled against AVALANCHE unless they committed further acts of echo-terrorism against ShinRa.

In addition to keeping his knowledge of the whereabouts of AVALANCHE base of operations from his half-sibling, Lazard began to actively work with them. The events of the past year had convinced him that they needed a better emergency contingency plan, in case anything like the Deepground incident ever happened again. Reeve was in full agreement with that, and so were Highwind and Wallace.

They arranged meetings on a secure chat line organized by Reeve, and together, they worked on plans to build underground shelters capable of withstanding heavy attacks and sustaining large populations. Ft. Condor was the first obvious choice, since it already had an underground cave system and was set up for defense. Lazard suggested looking into Modeoheim as a second possible option. The town itself had been abandoned years ago, but the caves were still there and the mountains surrounding the area could provide additional defense.

Cid pointed out that the problem with packing everyone into caves in the event of another catastrophe was the lack of sunshine. "Livestock can't live on rocks and neither can people," he said, "so how would we feed everybody, if shit like Omega happens again and we've got to use this idea?"

"Artificial light," answered Reeve. "And hydroponics. You can grow gardens without direct sunlight, if you can reproduce the properties of it and keep a greenhouse with steady temperatures."

"Sounds mighty pricey," grunted Barret.

Reeve shook his head; though Lazard was the only one in the same room with him to see it. "It doesn't have to be, if we use green energy. Yes, the initial cost of building solar panels with enough energy production to sustain a system like that may be a little hefty, but in the long run it will be more cost effective and efficient for us."

"We would need to test it," Lazard suggested. He looked across the table at Reeve. "How soon do you think you can design this system you're proposing, Reeve?"

The engineer considered it. "I could have a prototype system ready to test out in a couple of months. We should probably keep it hush-hush though, until you think it's the appropriate time to let the president in on what we're doing."

Lazard nodded and looked down at the polished surface of the table. "I'll begin easing him into it soon," he promised. "I just want to be cautious, for now. He has no love for AVALANCHE and his advisor…well…you all know Scarlet."

"Bitch cost me my arm," grunted Barret. "Don't have to tell me nothin'."

"Let's just find out if this will work, first," Reeve soothed. "We've got plenty of time to build and test."

* * *

After the meeting, Reeve went to the containment level of the science department, to spend some quality alone time with his preserved friend. He locked the door to Vincent's stasis room behind him and he approached the amnio tank, looking up at the man/demon floating within it. It was Vincent's face, but it wasn't. Chaos bore a remarkable resemblance to his host, feature-wise, and Reeve often wondered if his original form looked remotely human at all. The bat like wings were relaxed on either side of the floating entity, and the intense yellow eyes were shut peacefully. A breathing mask was secured over the mouth and nose, obscuring some of the pale, comely features of his face from view.

"I have a bad feeling," Reeve began, spreading his hands over the glass as he stared up at the being. "Ever since Omega fell, I can't shake this sense of dread. Maybe I'm paranoid, but if this experience has taught me anything, it's that we weren't prepared to deal with a crisis of that magnitude. It never should have gone that far, Vincent. You could be back home in your moldy coffin right now, if things hadn't gotten so bad."

Reeve sighed and traced the glass with his fingertips. "I'm working on a plan to prepare more extensive shelter for people, if anything like this happens again. It could take a year or more to complete what I have in mind, but if we face a threat like that again, we might not be so lucky. You know, I've read that people who live through disasters can suffer post-traumatic stress, and it could take years for them to let their guard down and relax. Maybe that's what's happening to me, but I don't think I'm alone. I doubt Lazard would agree to help me with this project if he didn't have concerns of his own, and the others aren't exactly the paranoid sort."

He lowered his gaze and rested his forehead against the cool, smooth surface of the bubbling stasis tank. "I just can't shake the feeling that it isn't over."

There was no response from the individual floating inside of the tank, but Reeve felt better just talking to him and being near him, nonetheless.

* * *

Angeal came out of the shower to find Genesis standing quietly at the window, looking out at the setting sun. He kept towel-drying his hair as he approached the redhead, admiring his profile. Gen was wearing a red sleeveless shirt and a pair of gray track pants for comfort. His toned arms were crossed over his chest and his auburn hair feathered over his brow as it dried. He'd made it back to their quarters first this evening, and he'd already cleaned up and changed by the time Angeal made it in.

Angeal draped the towel he was using on his hair around his neck and he approached his companion from behind. He rubbed his shoulders with strong, skilled hands and looked out over the city with him. "Enjoying the sunset?"

Genesis shrugged, his gaze scanning the horizon.

Sensing a strange sort of disquiet in him, Angeal pressed a kiss against his temple and enjoyed the scent of his slightly damp hair. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know."

The bigger man frowned and rested his chin on Genesis' shoulder, embracing him around the waist. "Can you try to guess?"

Genesis turned around and looked at him with troubled eyes. "Don't you feel it too?"

Angeal stared at him. "Feel what?"

"Just listen," urged the redhead, shutting his eyes. "Not with your ears."

Angeal was only growing more confused. What else was he supposed to listen with, if not his ears? "Could you at least tell me what I'm listening _for_?"

Genesis opened his eyes again, his gaze meeting Angeal's. "It's like a cry. Not a verbal one. You feel it _inside_."

Angeal frowned again. "Genesis, did they give you any medications when you went in for your physical today?"

His answer was a sigh and an impatient look, which prompted Angeal to at least try to humor him. "Okay. How am I supposed to 'listen' for this?"

"Just shut your eyes and listen to your senses," answered Genesis. "The way you do when you meditate or when you go into a hard fight. Listen with _everything_, Angeal."

Finally understanding him better with that explanation, Angeal did as he asked. It was easy to slip into a light, meditative trance. He did so every morning after exercise and every afternoon after sparring. After a little while, he felt a strange sort of tension, and though he didn't detect anything with his hearing, he did sense an odd vibration in the air. It was like a sound wave, almost. He felt like something big was pressing down, and he couldn't explain it.

"You feel it, don't you?"

Angeal opened his eyes again. "I feel tension, but that could be coming from _you_." He was very sensitive to Genesis' moods and when he was upset, Angeal could always sense it. "Did something happen today that you aren't telling me?"

Genesis shook his head and sighed. "Never mind."

"Don't do that," protested Angeal. He brushed Genesis' drying bangs away from his eyes. "Something's bothering you and even if I can't understand it, I want you to talk to me about it anyway. What do you think this 'cry' is that you're talking about?"

"I'm…not sure." Genesis turned around to face the window again.

"Gen."

Genesis heaved a sigh. "All right. I think it's the goddess."

Angeal had a hard time swallowing the idea that either of them could actually hear or feel the planet's cries, but he knew how spiritual Genesis could be on such matters, so he didn't try to refute his theory. "Why would the planet be crying out? We stopped Deepground and Omega. The threat is over."

"We destroyed Minerva's guardian," answered Genesis. "Her final defense against total destruction. What's more than that, Omega was one of her oldest children. Somehow, I don't think our success pleased her."

Angeal had never thought of the planet as a fully cognitive entity before, the way Genesis did. He believed it had a certain level of instinctive awareness and a soul, but his lover thought of Gaia like a sentient, divine presence. He rubbed Genesis' shoulders again, and he thought his words over carefully.

"Maybe the planet _is_ angry, but if that's the case, there isn't much we can do about it. None of us can communicate directly with it to pacify it."

"I suppose," sighed the redhead. He turned to look at him again and his eyes caressed Angeal's half-naked body with intrigue. "I know _one_ way you could take my mind off this." He hooked a finger into the towel wrapped around Angeal's waist and started to tug it off.

Angeal hastily reached out and dropped the blinds, just in time. Genesis smirked at him as the towel dropped to the floor, exposing him completely. "You closed those blinds fast, Angeal. Do you realize how difficult it is to see into that window from outside at this time of day, without our lights turned on?"

"There's an old woman living in the building across the street," excused Angeal, "and I've seen her looking out with a pair of binoculars. Let's not take chances."

Genesis chuckled. "She's probably been counting on an opportunity to see you like this, but I wouldn't want it on your conscience if she caught a glimpse of your…attributes…and suffered a heart attack." He reached down and fondled one particular attribute, making it more pronounced.

"The only person I'm interested in showing my attributes to is you." Angeal's mouth closed in on his companions for a deep kiss.

* * *

A few doors down from them, Sephiroth was looking out his window, too. Like Genesis, he'd felt the gathering energy, and he was just as troubled by it. He listened so intently with his senses that his mental barriers dropped, long enough to allow the malevolent entity living inside of him to push forward and try to manipulate him. The general gasped and pressed his gloved hands to his temples as Jenova came screaming into his mind. Images of blood and death reeled through his head and Sephiroth sank to his knees on the floor, gritting his teeth against the intrusion.

"Out," he growled. "Get…_out_!"

His pupils expanded into wide ovals as the alien intruder forever fused with him tried to influence him. He saw images of gigantic creatures, frozen behind walls of ice. Like Omega, they looked like they were both mechanical and biological in nature, and the ice began to crack as they started to move.

_~"This is what awaits you,"~_ warned Jenova in his head, _~"But you can stop it. The Promised Land, Sephiroth. Help me take it back."~_

"Stop!" Sephiroth forced her out again, shoving her consciousness savagely back into the mental prison and locking it tight. He was on his hands and knees now, with his silver hair falling around him and his eyes wide and blank. He trembled from the effort and sweat beaded his face.

"WEAPONS," he whispered, recognizing the creatures he'd seen in his mind from the many books he'd read. WEAPONS like Omega, but the feeling he got from the vision was that these particular WEAPONS had a different purpose. They existed only to destroy anything that threatened Gaia, not to protect the Lifestream and take it to another world.

"It wasn't real," murmured the general. "It was just one of her tricks."

Still, he couldn't explain the phenomena he'd felt before that had distracted him enough to weaken his barriers in the first place.

* * *

Zack took a fresh beer out of the mini-fridge in his sleeping quarters and he dug his phone out of his pocket, intending to order a pizza.

"Hey Kunsel, do we want anchovies, this time?"

When he didn't get an answer, Zack frowned and turned around. Kunsel was still sitting on the couch at the end of the bed, watching the television. Zack whistled to get his attention. "Dude, anchovies or no anchovies?"

Kunsel twisted around to look over the back of the couch at him. "You pick, Zack. Something freaky's happening on the news, though. Come check it out!"

Forgetting about the pizza order for now, Zack joined him on the couch and turned the television up. He recognized the town in the video as Icicle Inn. He went there on vacation one year with his parents for his annual leave of absence. He smiled at the memory, recalling how his dad had complained about the cold and his mom made everyone hot chocolate. The snowboarding was great, but there wasn't that much for older people to do there. The next year, they went to the Gold Saucer instead.

His thoughts of past holidays with his parents came to a screeching halt when he saw what had Kunsel leaning forward on the couch with that bewildered expression on his face. The camera panned left, wobbling a little as its holder focused on something approaching the village from the north.

"_This is the scene being filmed live at Icicle Inn,_" the reporter said. _"A little while ago, villagers reported hearing strange noises coming from the north, and then the tremors started. At first it was thought to be an avalanche, but we now know that isn't the case."_

"What in the hell is _that_?" Zack stared at the screen, trying to make out details.

"It…kind of looks like a big robot," Kunsel murmured, equally mystified.

The thing walked upright on two legs like a human, but it was huge. In some ways, it reminded Zack of Omega, but it wasn't as big and it didn't have wings. It still towered over the buildings of the town it was approaching and Zack estimated it was about forty feet tall. Its body was encased in silver-white, chitin-like armor. There was a big scarlet gem in the center of its chest and what Zack at first thought to be massive shoulder guards turned out to be panels of some sort. As the robot-thing came closer to the town, the panels began to open.

_"It's doing something," _a male voice said over the communication system. _"The town police are mobilizing to approach it. People are speculating that it's some kind of ShinRa robot…maybe lost or malfunctioning."_

The camera panned to the town entrance briefly, showing men and women in uniform heading out with guns. They looked tiny, compared to the monstrosity outside the town.

"Holy shit…why is that reporter just standing there filming it?" demanded Kunsel as the grids inside of the panels began to light up. "I don't think that thing's about to give a lightshow!"

Zack was inclined to agree, but reporters and journalists were known to put themselves in danger all the time to get good coverage. "Get out of there," Zack muttered, sharing Kunsel's dread. He sincerely doubted the police could penetrate that body armor with any of the weapons they were issued, and Icicle's law enforcement agency didn't have a lot of manpower behind it. Small towns didn't _need_ many law enforcers to maintain the peace.

White-hot beams of energy fired from the grids on the creature's shoulders, shooting straight for the town. The screams of terror from the residents were partially drowned out by the resulting explosions as the laser beams impacted buildings, vehicles and other structures. The camera shook and the reporter started yelling the obvious.

_"It's attacking! We're under attack!"_

The law enforcement on the scene started shooting at the aggressor, with no visible effect. The creature tromped closer to the town and continued its assault, decimating everything in its wake. The ground cracked open beneath its metallic, clawed feet and the reporter seemed to be walking backwards, trying to move away from its approach without lowering his camera. An old truck went flying into the air, hurtling end-over-end and on fire. It was heading straight for the camera. There was a scream of terror from the man holding it, and the last thing Zack and Kunsel saw before the picture went blank and dead was the grill of the vehicle.

Zack and Kunsel both winced, and the reporters at the news station tried to contact the cameraman. When they failed to get a response or further images, the picture changed to show a balding man and an attractive blonde woman sitting at the station's anchorman desk.

_"Ladies and gentlemen,"_ the woman said, adjusting her communication headset, _"we appear to be having some technical difficulties and we've lost communication with our Icicle Inn team."_

_"We'll be back with more, after these messages,"_ said the man_._

Zack and Kunsel looked at each other as the picture faded and a television ad for cough medicine came on. "I don't know what that thing was," Kunsel said, "but it sure as hell wasn't made by ShinRa."

* * *

-To be continued


	26. Chapter 26

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter twenty-six: Rise of the WEAPONS

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note: _**_And we're finally caught up to where I'm at in writing the story now, yay! I know this chapter is rather short, but sometimes it's better to foreshadow than to end with a cliffhanger._

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters._**

* * *

Rufus scheduled an emergency meeting and a press conference inside the Junon ShinRa tower as soon as he returned from Wutai, the next evening. To Scarlet's frustration and everyone's surprise, he instructed Reeve to stand with him during the interview. The broadcast from the night before was playing on the boardroom screen, with the sound muted.

"You are the only corporate head amongst us that stands a chance of even guessing what this thing could be or where it came from," Rufus explained to the surprised Urban Development commissioner. "And more importantly, people _like_ you. They tend to trust your word, more than ours. We need to maintain calm, Reeve. Deepground, Omega and now _this_? We can't afford the anarchy of a national panic, if we're to deal with this latest issue."

"You had me with the first sentence," assured Reeve. "Just let me slip into something a little more professional, before we go in to talk to them. Somehow, I don't think showing up in a robe will impress a competent image on the media or watchers."

Sephiroth was staring at the news footage silently playing on the boardroom screen, and there was something about his normally impassive expression that caught Rufus' attention. "Do you know something about this, General? Have you seen something similar in your duties…perhaps while fighting the war with Wutai?"

Sephiroth kept his emerald gaze fixated on the screen as he shook his head, his shiny, silver mane swaying with the motion. "No. Not in Wutai."

"Then where?" Prompted Lazard. "It's important that you share any information you can give us about this creature, Sephiroth."

The general hesitated, and his fellow officers, standing nearby, looked at each other with concern. Sephiroth appeared to wrestle with himself before answering. "A dream. A very _realistic_ dream, but a dream, nonetheless."

"A dream," repeated Rufus. "So then, you know as much as we do about it—which is absolutely nothing."

The general's serpentine gaze shifted to Rufus, chilling him with sudden disdain. "To imply that I know 'nothing' about this would be in error. I said I saw it in a dream, and while that is more than likely a coincidence, it doesn't negate the fact that I've done more research in my life than all of you people combined." He nodded at Genesis and Reeve. "Except for you two, perhaps."

"Then share with us, General," Scarlet demanded with a gesture at the screen, "what do you think this is?"

Sephiroth hesitated again. "I'd rather not presume, at this point. I could share my suspicions, but it would be tantamount to spreading unfounded rumors. I suggest we investigate the matter further, before _anyone_ attempts to identify this creature."

Reno, Rude and Elena were there for the Turks, since Tseng was still in Wutai with his new bride. Until he returned from his honeymoon, the three of them were in charge of the department.

"I can get the Turks on it right away," offered Reno. "We'll go scope out the situation and let ya know what we find." Beside him, Rude and Elena both nodded in agreement.

Rufus considered the offer. He already intended to send regular militia to try and secure the town, but the Turks excelled at investigating for and retrieving information. He nodded. "I'll allow it. I'll send a regiment of MP's with you to secure the area while you and your people assess the situation. Lazard, we may require SOLDIER participation, if it's confirmed that our standard units can't handle this threat."

The SOLDIER director nodded. "Of course."

"Maybe you shouldn't even send your Turks in just yet, Rufus," Scarlet suggested thoughtfully. "Send in the pawns to investigate, first. The Turks are too valuable to risk, until we know what we're up against."

"Excuse me," Reeve said with an incredulous look at her, "but did you just refer to your own people as _pawns_?"

She shrugged her crimson-clad shoulders and looked at the screen. She reversed the footage to show it from the beginning again and accentuate her point. "That thing practically decimated Icicle Inn within a time frame of five minutes in total, Tuesti. We haven't even _started_ to recover from our losses during the Deepground conflict, and we're running out of ammunition. If we have to risk more people to find out what's going on, I would rather it be the grunts. We're going to need our _best_ units to defend us here, if that thing is a sign of more conflicts to come."

"She's got a point," Cid said, finally offering his opinion. "Can't believe I'm siding with this broad, but you don't show all your cards right away if you play to win. The last conflict cut our fighting forces down to half. Figure out what the hell we're up against, before you send in the specialized folk."

Rufus nodded. "I agree. Reno, the Turks aren't to go anywhere near that area until we have some preliminary reports of what to expect. I'll send people to scout for the creature, first. If it's clear to move in and investigate, I'll consider sending in the Turks."

"Got it," answered Reno compliantly.

"Now that we've established our course," Rufus sighed, "it's time for Tuesti and I to get ready to meet the press. This meeting is adjourned."

* * *

The four SOLDIER operatives remained behind for a few moments, after the others left the boardroom. Genesis regarded Sephiroth with contemplative aqua eyes and he shook the fringe of his bangs back as he made his observation.

"You think it's a WEAPON, don't you?"

Zack stared at the redhead. "A WEAPON?"

"Like Omega," answered Genesis with a nod, his gaze still on Sephiroth's.

"I noticed a similar look to it myself," Zack admitted, before Sephiroth could respond to the question. "They both had that smooth armor and the robotic look, not to mention that creepy feeling that whoever has the remote for these big toys isn't human."

Genesis glanced at Zack in annoyance. "Would you please let Sephiroth answer?"

"Oh. Sorry. Seph, do you think it's a WEAPON like Gen says?"

The general's eyes flicked to each of them in turn, before lowering in thought. "Possibly. As I said during the meeting, it bears more investigation to be sure."

Genesis narrowed his eyes at him. "'A dream', my ass. You didn't see that thing in any dream, did you? You had a vision."

"What makes you say that?" Sephiroth's voice was monotone and neutral—impossible to read.

Angeal answered for his partner, guessing where he was going with this. "Because last night before this broadcast went out, Genesis felt something. He said it was a cry of rage from the planet. I thought I felt something too, but I'm not as sensitive to these things as Genesis. You are, though. Did something happen to you last night too, Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth looked at Genesis. "More melodramatics."

The redhead bristled. "Try to deny your own perceptions all you like, Sephiroth, but I trust in mine. This isn't an exaggeration and it isn't paranoia, on my part. We've all seen and done too much over the years to pretend we don't have a connection to Minerva, the Lifestream and of course, Jenova."

Mention of Jenova made Sephiroth narrow his eyes, betraying a flash of wariness in them.

Genesis smirked in satisfaction and nodded. "I thought so. I know she still projects her thoughts into your mind, whenever she can. If you didn't feel something last night, I'm sure _she_ did, and you've expressed to us yourself that whatever Jenova thinks of this world and its residents, she treats you as a son and ally."

"So she claims," answered the general flatly.

"Did you or did you not feel Minerva's birthing pangs, last night?"

Zack's eyebrows shot up. "Wait…are we still talking about WEAPONS?"

Both of them ignored him. Sephiroth stared at Genesis and the redhead stared back, while Angeal stood silently, watching. Finally, Sephiroth nodded curtly. "I did. It distracted me to the point where Jenova was able to break free, long enough to push images into my head and attempt to convince me to align myself with her again."

"Please tell me you didn't consider it," Angeal murmured, concerned.

Sephiroth smirked without humor. "I know what she is now, Angeal. Jenova is treacherous, and she'll say or do whatever she deems necessary to satisfy her endless hunger. I won't be used by her ever again, while I draw breath."

Genesis turned his gaze to Zack. "And what about you? Did you feel it?"

Zack scratched his head. "What…labor pains? I can't say that I did. With the way women scream when they give birth, I'm pretty sure I'd have noticed feeling something like that."

Genesis sighed. "It was a metaphor, based on my presumption that the goddess—our planet—gave birth to another WEAPON last night." In a tone of forced patience, he went on. "Zackary, did you feel anything? A sense of rage, pain or anguish, perhaps?"

Zack's dark brows furrowed over thoughtful, blue-violet eyes. "I…I guess I _did_ feel a little tremor and a tingle, early last night. I'll be honest though, I had a few beers with Kunsel and I was buzzing a little. I figured it was just a little alcohol disorientation. Are you trying to say we _felt_ that thing waking up?"

"Something like that," agreed Genesis. "We've all been injected with Jenova cells, yet we're also children of Minerva. I believe that our connection with both the goddess and her rival makes us more sensitive to the planet's moods. We can't communicate directly with her like the Cetra could, but we're attuned enough to perceive her rage. I believe that was what we experienced last night…even you, Zack."

"Okay, then let me ask you something. If we're so sensitive to the planet's emotions, why didn't we feel anything from it…her…whatever…when Deepground sacrificed all those innocent people? Shouldn't we have felt a little tingle, at least?"

"You didn't feel a sense of dread then?" challenged Genesis. "I did…and I don't even care much for the fate of strangers."

Zack faltered and shrugged, frowning unhappily. "Well yeah, but that's normal. It's only human to feel like that when you find out hundreds of people have been murdered in cold blood, man. Even _you_ can't deny that."

"Then perhaps our own feelings of outrage masked whatever anguish those deaths caused for Minerva," reasoned Genesis. "My point is, something affected us last night and a short while later, we received news from the north that some titanic creature of unknown origins decimated Icicle Inn. I no longer believe in coincidences, gentlemen."

Angeal looked at Sephiroth. "I know you don't like to discuss your encounters with Jenova, but this isn't a normal situation."

"It never is," sighed the general. "Fine. I'll share what I saw in my head with you, as well as Jenova's message to me. I still have no intention of acting on any of it until we have more information."

"Fair enough," agreed Angeal.

* * *

When they finished their conversation in the boardroom, Zack went straight to Kunsel's private quarters for some much-needed buddy time. Kunsel took one look at him when he answered the door and he winced.

"That bad, huh? Come on in, Zack. Have a beer and take a load-off."

Zack nodded and walked through the door. He plopped down on Kunsel's bed—the only piece of sitting furniture the Second had in his studio sleeping quarters. Kunsel went to the kitchenette and grabbed a beer for him out of the mini fridge.

"So, what's the verdict?" he asked as he got out the bottle opener to pop the cap off of the drink.

"You know I can't tell you until they give me permission," Zack sighed.

Kunsel shrugged. "Sorry. I just thought maybe you had some non-classified info you could share. Here." He walked over to Zack and offered the beer bottle to him.

Zack took it and as he started to raise it to his lips, Kunsel said something that made him go still and stare at him with a slack jaw.

"They think it's a WEAPON, don't they?"

* * *

"President Shinra, what does your organization plan to do about the recent destruction of Icicle Inn?"

"We've sent investigative teams to the site," assured Rufus. "When we have more information, we'll deal with the threat."

The answer seemed to satisfy the reporter. "There are rumors that this was a ShinRa manufactured WMD gone out of control. What is your response to that?"

Rufus answered carefully, mindful of recent events and his company's reputation for creating secret weapons for military might. "I can assure you, this thing wasn't built by _us_." He let the sentence hang, implying that some other nation could be responsible for it.

"Wutai, then?" the woman asked.

Reeve leaned into his microphone and answered that, before Rufus could. "Wutai doesn't have the technology to create something like this. If they did, our occupation of their country would have met a swift and brutal end." He gave Rufus a covertly chastising look for his subtle attempt to pin the blame on someone else. "Conversely, ShinRa doesn't possess the technology to build a thing like that, either. In fact, anybody capable of creating a monstrosity like that wouldn't _need_ to send out waves of invaders or insurgents to subdue their target."

"But what about Deepground?" a male reporter predictably asked. "How can we be sure that ShinRa isn't manufacturing more secret weapons, when it's common knowledge now that the company had a hidden army of super soldiers made through human experimentation? Anyone capable of _that_—"

"That was done under the previous administration," interrupted Rufus calmly. "Everyone involved in that project is either dead or imprisoned now, and we put an end to the threat. I realize that my organization still has a lot to atone for, but rest assured, the incident with Deepground isn't something I have any desire to repeat, whatsoever." He of course didn't count Scarlet amongst the dead or imprisoned.

"ShinRa is focusing on healing the damage," agreed Reeve, "and we're finding new ways to manufacture green energy every day. Our primary goal now is to protect this nation and all of humanity. We're acting as quickly as we can to deal with this threat, and in the meantime, we've broadcasted warnings to all surrounding areas for people to seek emergency shelter and avoid going outside, until the danger is neutralized."

"And what exactly _is_ this threat?" demanded one of the reporters. "Is it alive, or is it a machine controlled by someone else?"

"We don't know yet," answered Rufus, "and we won't be able to answer that until our people investigate and report back. When we have conclusive information, I'll arrange another press conference. Until then, it's best that people in the Icicle area to the north avoid open travel and cooperate with law and military officials. No further comments, today. This conference is finished."

Rufus' announcement that the press conference was over provoked a torrent of further questions, of course. Squinting against the flashing cameras, he and Reeve made their way to the exit and the security guards kept the press from trying to follow.

* * *

Thousands of miles away across the ocean, inside an ancient, forgotten city, a young woman lay curled up alone in a house fashioned to resemble a seashell. Her skirt was worn but well-cared for, her blouse was faded but clean. A pair of brown boots sat on the wooden floor at the foot of her little bed and an old, faded picture of a man, a woman and a child sat on the bedside table. The young woman clutched her head and sobbed quietly, her honey-colored hair veiling her face.

"Mama," she whimpered. "Make it stop!"

Through the chaos of screams in her mind, she heard her mother's voice speaking to her, warning that it was going to get worse and that she could be in danger, if she stayed on the surface.

Snuffling, Aerith Gainsborough sat up in her bed, took the framed photo of her and her parents, and clutched it against her bosom. She'd always been a little rebellious when her mother was still alive, but now she was determined to be a good girl and do as she said. She put the photo aside so that she could put her boots on and pack some things to take with her to the lower city, so she could wait out the terrible storm that was coming.

* * *

"Tuesti, wait up."

Reeve sighed and obligingly slowed his steps, allowing the president to catch up with him. He hadn't realized he was walking "angrily", as he sometimes did after dealing with Scarlet's bullshit or frustration with a project.

"Sir, I think we should both get some rest while we can," Reeve suggested, not looking at the younger man as Rufus fell into step beside him. What little staff there was traversing the halls at this hour hastily moved aside for the two of them when they crossed paths.

"You know what we're up against," Rufus said, and it wasn't a question. "I could see it in your eyes."

Reeve stopped and stared at him, trying to formulate an answer that would satisfy the man without jumping to conclusions. "Then my eyes know more than I do, Mr. President."

Rufus glanced around before leaning in to hiss a warning. "Don't try to deceive me, Reeve. You know something. If you withhold information we might have used to stop this thing and more people die, it will be on _your_ head."

The cryptic statement gave Reeve pause, and he cursed inwardly. "Damn my conscience, anyway," he muttered. He looked around, saw an empty office room adjacent to them, and he grabbed Rufus by the arm. "Come with me."

The blond stumbled after him with surprise as Reeve opened the door and all but dragged him inside. He shut the door behind him and he didn't bother turning on the lights in the little office, intending to keep this conversation brief.

"It may be a WEAPON," he stated flatly, "but I can't be sure yet, so take that with a grain of salt, until we have more information."

Rufus searched his eyes, his shadowed, attractively refined features troubled. "You believe this could be another Omega?"

Reeve shook his head and dragged his fingers through his dark hair. "No, this isn't another Omega, whatever it is. Omega's purpose was ultimately benign."

"Benign." Rufus raised a brow at him, his mouth tightening with annoyance. "The thing nearly drained all life from this planet, to leave us to starve to death on a barren world."

"Something ShinRa has been doing to a lesser extent for decades," muttered Reeve—but he was just as guilty as any company employee, so he waved it aside and changed the subject before the other man could argue.

"What I mean is that Omega didn't act out of malice. Yes, the animals and plants left behind on this world would have eventually died out, if Omega had ascended with the Lifestream as intended. However, that event shouldn't have occurred the way it did. If Omega had risen naturally, there would be few if any living beings left alive on this planet to begin with. It was only supposed to happen in the event that this world was doomed in the first place, do you understand? Omega's purpose was to preserve the spirit energy necessary to create life, in the event that this world started to die. It was supposed to take that energy to a new planet and deposit it there, so that Gaia could create new life and start over. Chaos…"

He had to pause and clear his throat before continuing, pained by the mere mention of the demon, and the thoughts of Vincent that it provoked. "Chaos was meant to gather remaining spirit energy that hadn't yet rejoined the Lifestream, to ensure that every soul would be reunited with Gaia. Thanks to Hojo's meddling and Deepground's lunacy, both purposes were corrupted."

"Thank you for the lesson, Professor," Rufus answered sarcastically. "But I seem to recall that Omega was classified as a WEAPON. Is this or is this not the truth?"

"Yes, but not all WEAPONS serve the exact same function," explained Reeve. "Just like not all departments in ShinRa serve the company the same way."

Rufus caught on, with that comparison. "I see. So it's possible this new creature could be a cousin to Omega."

"Maybe." Reeve nodded. "But if it is, I'm fairly sure it isn't here to gather the Lifestream and take it somewhere else. Omega wasn't violent when it awoke. It seemed fixated on its task, uninterested in harming anyone. In terms of military units, I'd say Omega was a medic. Given this other creature attacked Icicle, my guess is it's the WEAPON equivalent of a SOLDIER."

Rufus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between a thumb and forefinger. "Fantastic. I'd almost prefer another Omega. At least we know how to deal with that."

"Again, let me remind you of what General Sephiroth said in the meeting. Nobody should try to identify this thing until we have more information to go by. Attacking it with false presumptions of what it is could lead to disaster, Rufus."

The president didn't seem to mind being addressed by his first name—a sign that he was exhausted or too stressed to care. "If we can't identify it soon, we have to presume it's another WEAPON. I'll give our people a chance to investigate, before I make any decisions."

Reeve couldn't really think of a decent argument against that. He found it more reasonable than he expected from Rufus, and he hoped Scarlet wouldn't sink her claws into the president and convince him not to stick to his plan.

* * *

Rufus returned to his luxury suite on one of the top levels of the ShinRa tower. When he entered the suite, he found it already occupied by a scantily clad blonde woman, who he both loathed and desired. Scarlet was lying on his big, round bed in the center of the suite, dressed in a combination of a red and black satin corset and matching panties. She smiled up at him as he closed the door behind him and she reached up to deftly tug the pins out of her coiled hair, allowing it to tumble down around her shoulders in flaxen waves.

"I watched the press conference," she informed him with a nod at the wide-screen television against the wall over the fireplace. "You handled their questions well, Rufus. Champagne?" She sat up gracefully and started to reach for the room service cart by the bed, where a chilled bottle and two glasses waited.

Rufus unbuttoned the first layer of his elaborate white suit, shaking his head. "Not tonight. I'm not in the mood to celebrate."

"Hmm." She shrugged and patted the satin sheets invitingly. "You have a lot on your mind. I understand. We have a lot of work ahead of us, Rufus. I think we should take our minds off of that for tonight, so that we can be well-rested and prepared to deal with it later."

"Any excuse for sex." He smirked at her. "You _are_ a slut."

She leaned back on her elbows and gazed up at him with unapologetic lust in her gray eyes. She bent her right knee and struck a lascivious pose. "I'll leave it for the meek and mousy women to feel ashamed of their sexual desires, Rufus. You wouldn't have me any other way."

He removed his tie and draped it over the expensive, designer armchair with his blazer. "It's the one redeeming quality you have, I agree."

He approached the bed, removing various clothing articles as he went.

* * *

They received reports from Icicle after lunch the next day. After gathering details, they arranged another meeting. Cid was absent because he'd flown to Rocket Town to bring his wife Shera. Being an engineer and a rocket scientist, her help would be useful in some of the ongoing projects headed by Reeve. This time—at Reeve's suggestion—they included Hollander in the meeting. The man had scientific know-how that could be useful and while Hojo had settled down considerably after hearing the news about Omega, he was still prone to bouts of egotistical babbling.

Rufus projected the global map onto the screen in the boardroom and he had a pointing wand in his hand as he explained the details to all participants.

"Our people found some survivors in the ruins of Icicle Inn," Rufus began the meeting by saying. "Not many, but some. They've been given medical attention and debriefed. Unfortunately, none of them had any details for us. They hid in a basement when the creature approached and they were trapped under the rubble until our people arrived to pull them out."

"So where was the creature?" Lazard asked. "I assume nowhere nearby."

"No," answered the president. "The tracks were easily followed, however. One of our pilots followed them via helicopter, all the way to the Southwest tip of the continent." Rufus pointed at the map. "The tracks disappeared into the water."

Reno and Rude shared confused looks, and the redhead spoke what was on both their minds. "So the thing just _drowned_ itself after picking off Icicle?"

"Doubtful," Sephiroth answered before Rufus could. "It probably had another target in mind, on a different continent."

"Could that thing even _swim_?" Elena asked. Her light brown eyes were wide beneath the pale fringe of her blonde bob. "Shouldn't it…short-circuit or something, if it's a robot?"

"We may not be dealing with a true robotic entity, here," Reeve explained. "It may _look_ like a robot to us, but it could be just as organic in nature as we are."

"Then what the fuck _is_ it?" Reno tossed his hands up. "Some kind of alien?"

"It might be simpler if it were," muttered Genesis. He leaned back against the window behind him and crossed one booted ankle over the other.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Reno pressed.

"It means we don't have time to debate where this creature came from, right now," snapped Rufus. He swung his pointing wand hard against the screen, popping it loudly enough to make Zack jump in his seat a little. "This being is now at large, somewhere in the ocean between the northern continent and the mid-east continent. If it hasn't drowned or short-circuited as suggested, it could be heading anywhere, now. Scarlet?"

She got out of her chair and paced the room, her high heals clicking on the hard floor as she walked. "I've notified all naval and oceanic units to search our sea borders for any signs of this creatures, and I've contacted Tseng and warned him, as well. Wutai has _some_ marine units available, but nothing as advanced as ours. We _could _send some of our own their way, if only to ensure a greater chance for detection to the Far East, if our target heads that way."

Reno nodded and looked to Rufus. "Yeah. I say we do it, Sir."

Rude nodded as well.

"I'm in agreement with that," answered Rufus. He looked up at Sephiroth, who stood silently behind Hollander. "General, do you have any tactical input?"

"Yes, I do," answered Sephiroth. "Hasten the work on the Mako cannon. Make sure it can be primed to fire quickly, at all times. Impose a city curfew on Junon, and send an advisory out for all law enforcement personnel in ShinRa controlled areas to do the same. Check and double-check fortifications, as well as shelters. If the media starts to rile up the public, shut them down."

Everyone stared at him. "Isn't this all a bit prematurely intense?" Lazard asked.

"This is a matter of national security," answered Sephiroth. "Better to be prepared than to be caught unawares, fighting over the bodies of civilians to keep from being overrun. I think it's past time to coddle the masses, Director. The conflict with Deepground has toughened them up more than you may think."

Beside him, Genesis nodded in agreement and Angeal was stoic and quiet, his chiseled features thoughtful. Zack pondered the situation for a moment, before grimacing and speaking his thoughts. His voice was unusually somber, as if the weight of everything he'd been through with his companions was finally becoming too heavy for him to maintain his signature carefree attitude.

"In times of war or threat, people need protection more than personal freedom. I don't like telling people how late they can be out at night, but if it keeps them safe, I'm in."

Lazard sighed. "Very well. We still need to try and figure out what this creature is and do as much research as possible."

"That's why I thought _he_ might be useful," Reeve said with a nod at Hollander.

Quiet and subdued these days, the doctor nodded, his salt and pepper hair feathering over his brow in a manner similar to Angeal's. "Please, show me the video feed. They've been very restrictive of my contact with the outside world and the media, since releasing me from holding."

Rufus gave a nod to Scarlet, and she grabbed the remote off the table and clicked a few buttons. The image on the screen soon changed from the global map to the news feed from when the creature attacked Icicle Inn. Hollander watched it with a frown on his face, his eyes widening when he got a clear look at the being. When the clip reached its end, Scarlet paused it and Hollander looked around at the assembly. His mouth was slack with barely concealed awe.

"In all my life, I've never seen anything _like_ that. The descriptions in Professor Faremis' research on the Cetra matched what you've shown me here, though. If you can't account for any human nation building such a thing, then it stands to reason that the legends may be true. This could be a WEAPON."

Something wordless passed between Sephiroth and Genesis, then. The silver-haired general moved around the table, looking at the screen. "I have one last tactical suggestion for this assembly."

Lazard nodded respectfully. "And what would that be, General?"

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes on the still image of the creature. "Allow me and my officers to be amongst the fighters to engage it."

* * *

-To be continued


	27. Chapter 27

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter twenty-seven: The hunt

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note: _**_I think I've been watching too much "Buffy" and "Angel". I keep picturing Reeve walking in the forefront of the SOLDIER operatives in slow motion, with the dramatic trenchcoat, the breeze blowing in his hair and a kick-ass expression on his face. Thank you, Joss Whedon._

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters._**

* * *

_Two days later, in Rocket Town:_

"Ah! Goddammit! Shera, this damned thing is still busted!"

Cid ducked out from under the control panel at the pilot's seat and waved his pliers threateningly at it. He came close to hitting the panel in frustration, but his common sense kicked in at the last minute and he put the tool down, instead. He heard his wife coming up the steps outside the big rocket, and he could smell the hot chocolate before she stepped through the cockpit door.

"Take a break, Cid," admonished the rocket scientist gently. Her brown eyes were calm behind her round glasses, unthreatened by the angry scowl on his dirt-smudged face. She offered the mug to him with a coaxing smile. "Here. I brought you a hot drink."

Cid stuck his slim cigar into the corner of his mouth and puffed on it. "You ought to be working on those engines, not making goddamned hot chocolate!"

She nodded, still calm in the face of his ranting. "I'll get back to it after you've taken a break and had some hot chocolate, Cid. I promise. The rocket isn't going to go anywhere, in the meantime."

Grumbling, he took the drink from her. He snubbed his cigar out in the ashtray he'd put by the control panel and he sipped the heated beverage gingerly. When it didn't scald his tongue, he grunted in approval and took a heftier swallow.

"ShinRa tried to contact you again, while I was brewing the water," Shera informed him, leaning against the open doorway of the aircraft.

"You didn't answer my phone, did ya?"

"Of course not." Cid had issues with anyone answering his calls except for him, and she knew better than to get him on another tangent. "But I _do_ think you should respond the next time, or return their calls. They've been trying to reach you since you got here, and it could be important." She produced his phone from the pocket of her lab coat, and she offered it to him.

Cid looked at the device, scowling. "Keeping tabs on me. Rufus Shinra's a control freak. The only reason they keep calling is 'cause I didn't snatch you and come right back. They can wait. I've got to spend some time with the old girl, here." He patted the pilot seat of the rocket meaningfully.

Shera smiled tolerantly. "Still, they pay our salary. You should at least check in with them."

Cid put the phone down. "Don't tell me what to do, woman."

"I'm not telling," She corrected benignly, "I'm only suggesting."

Shera stepped closer to him, completely at ease with his gruff manner where most people would flee his presence when he used that tone of voice with them. She reached up and brushed her thumb against a sooty smear on his jaw, wiping it away.

"I'd never tell you what to do, Cid."

His hands settled on her waist, the rough work gloves soiling her lab coat. Neither of them cared. "That's right," he muttered. "I tell _you_ what to do."

"Yes, you do," she agreed, humoring him.

She rubbed a soft, smooth cheek against the rough stubble lining his jaw, like a cat marking her scent. She placed a soft, tickling kiss under his right ear, provoking him to put his arms around her and draw her closer. Her scent was a mixture of the smell of machinery and delicate, feminine perfume—a big turn-on for a man like Cid Highwind.

"What do you say we shut this door for a while," he suggested, his voice suddenly husky as he started to reach for said door.

Shera kissed his earlobe. "We could do that. I wish you would consider finding out what ShinRa wants first, though."

For all his crude mannerisms and meanness, Cid was just as susceptible to his hormones and female powers of persuasion as the next man. "All right, dammit. I'll call them, if it'll make you shut up about it. Get ready to shut that door when I'm finished, though."

He contradicted his harsh words by giving her a little smooch on the lips, before releasing her and picking the phone up. He grumbled as he flipped it open and prepared to dial, but then the familiar sound of ShinRa choppers approaching in the distance reached his ears. Cid put the phone away and reached for the half-smoked cigar he'd put out in the ashtray a moment ago. He re-lit it and took a puff.

"Sounds like they lost patience. ShinRa's heading this way. Go get some tea ready, woman." He gave her a little swat on the butt, leaving a trace of a dirty handprint on the back of her lab coat. She gave a little gasp and he grinned around his cigar as he watched her go.

* * *

Cid wasn't expecting five choppers and a small army to land outside his hometown. He approached the outskirts with a frown on his lips and he lit a fresh cigar, watching SOLDIER operatives and some regular MP's exit the aircrafts. They unloaded ground-to-air rocket launchers from one of the smaller combat choppers, and Cid's eyebrows went up. Reeve Tuesti approached with all four SOLDIER officers flanking him. He trod over the grassy plains with a brisk walk, his long black coat flapping dramatically at his booted ankles. Reeve looked pissed off, and as he closed the distance and stopped before the pilot, he demonstrated why.

"Start answering your fucking phone for a change, Highwind. We've been trying to contact you since yesterday!"

A bit startled by the unusual outburst from a man who typically kept his swearing on the mild side, Cid tapped some ash off his stogy and looked around at the regiment Tuesti had brought with him. "You people have been buzzing me ever since I left, actually," corrected Cid. "I figured it was just Rufus trying to push me to hurry up and get back with Shera. What the hell's going on?"

"We believe a large threat could be coming this way," explained Reeve, his dark eyes scouring the horizon in an anxious manner. "We've tried contacting the mayor, but there hasn't been an answer."

Cid snorted. "Big surprise. The mayor's an old lush, and he's probably passed out drunk in his house. What kind of threat are we talking about, here? Fleeing Deepground insurgents or something?"

"Worse," answered Reeve. "That's why we've been trying to reach you, in lieu of the mayor. We were hoping you could organize an evacuation, or at least get people into underground shelter, if available. Since we had no luck on that front, I contacted the nearest radio stations in the area and convinced them to put out an emergency broadcast for Rocket Town and all nearby settlements."

"Haven't you seen the news?" Zack prompted with raised eyebrows, "or even heard it on the radio?"

Cid took a puff of his cigar, unnerved in spite of himself by their actions and the urgency in their words. "Kid, I've been working on _Shinra no. 26_ since I got here, and my wife's been helping me. The Space Program might have cut funding, but we're going to make damned sure that rocket is flight ready when the president makes good on his promise to open the project again."

"There doesn't seem to be any activity in the village," observed Sephiroth with narrowed eyes as he looked at the town. "Aside from a few of Captain Highwind's people, if the uniforms are any indication."

"Then the word must have gotten out to the rest of the town," guessed Zack. "I sure hope they've got a good place to hide."

"There may still be time to get the town evacuated," suggested Angeal. "I checked the population count on the way here, and the entire town could possibly fit in an airship the size of the Highwind. We could give up one of the transport choppers we came with and fit all of our fighters in the remaining four for the journey back, if we manage to take the target down. Those of us with wings could even fly back ourselves to save space."

"Town's been dying since the rocket launch failed," grumbled Cid. "Nobody wants to hang around this dump and most families got out of dodge as soon as they had the opportunity."

Genesis stared at Angeal with an offended expression, ignoring Cid's comment about the population. "Are you _actually_ suggesting that the three of us fly all the way back to Junon harbor, when this is finished?"

Angeal shrugged. "It beats walking. We'll need to take regular rest breaks and our progress will be slower than the aircrafts, but it's doable. It won't kill us to give up our seats, Gen, but it might kill someone else if there isn't enough room to take all of the civilians to safety."

"Would one of y'all just tell me what the hell is going on?" Demanded Cid again, before the redhead could answer. The other MP's and SOLDIER operatives had set up barricades and they awaited orders by the line of aircrafts. "What are we dealing with, here?"

Reeve produced his satellite phone and he fiddled with it, before showing it to Cid. The pilot watched in confusion as the device played the news footage from Icicle Inn on the screen. "What the hell is that?"

Reeve hesitated, glancing at his companions. "We haven't settled on an identity, yet. All we know is that ShinRa didn't create it and we don't know of any other nations or organizations with the technology to do so, either."

Sephiroth took it from there. "We sent teams to investigate and prepared to deal with the threat, but by the time our people arrived, the target had moved on off-shore. Coastal units have been searching for it ever since, and one of the ShinRa Navy subs finally encountered it yesterday. Before the submarine and its crew were obliterated, they reported that the target was moving toward the shore to the north of this town, and reports of a sighting from an offshore oilrig confirmed it. It's on a direct course for Rocket Town."

"We were going to intercept it," Reeve sighed, "but since we couldn't reach you to orchestrate an evacuation, here we are."

Reeve stared at the image on the phone, and he dropped his cigar on the ground and put it out with the heel of his boot. "You're saying that thing's coming to chomp down on my town next?"

"It took you long enough to arrive at that conclusion," remarked Genesis caustically.

Cid didn't even react to the snarky comment. He turned and jogged into town, hollering over his shoulder for them to follow him. He didn't look to see if they complied.

* * *

"Cid, what on earth?"

"Pack some shit," ordered the blond man as he charged into the little house they shared and ushered Shera out of the kitchen.

The teakettle was beginning to whistle and Shera resisted her husband. She looked at the men that came in behind him and her eyes widened when she recognized General Sephiroth. "Wait," she sputtered in confusion. "Our guests…th-the tea!"

"Forget about the goddamned tea!" Cid pushed her toward the bedroom and when she stumbled, the young Soldier with the ebony, spiked hair blurted a protest.

"Hey man, take it easy on her!"

Cid turned to look at the young man. "What'd you say, Junior?"

The SOLDIER operative wasn't intimidated. He crossed toned, powerful arms over his chest and glared at Cid levelly, his amethyst gaze hard and gem-like. "I said take it easy, Highwind. Where I'm from, you don't push girls around like that."

"She's my wife, kid. Stay out of it."

He blinked. "Sooo…because you two are married, I should just stand by and watch you manhandle her? I don't think so, pal."

The big Soldier behind him put a hand on the spiky-haired one's shoulder, his chiseled features stern but quietly proud. "Easy, Zack."

Recognizing the name, Shera quickly intervened before her husband and the attractive young Soldier could go to blows over it. "It's okay, Lt. Fair," she promised, stepping in front of Cid to block his way. "Cid would never hurt me, I promise. He's just wound up about something. Can one of you please tell me what's happening?"

"I told you to pack," Cid barked, "not ask questions! Keep it to the essentials and get yer ass on the Highwind!"

Reeve Tuesti stepped in front of Zack as the young man bristled again at Cid's abusive tone. "I wish we had time for an extended explanation, Mrs. Highwind, but we really do need to move quickly. There is a creature heading this way that we suspect to be a WEAPON. I don't know if you're familiar with the term, but—"

"I'm familiar with it, Commissioner Tuesti," she assured him, her face draining of color. After what happened with Omega, it wasn't so difficult to believe that another of the planet's guardians had woken up. "Is it attempting to finish what Omega started?"

"No Ma'am. This one's only goal seems to be to destroy." Reeve's dark eyes were unsettled, and one could only guess what might be going though that eccentric mind of his. "As I said, we _suspect_ it's a WEAPON, but we can't know for certain until we've encountered it. We need to try and evacuate this town before it arrives. Your cooperation would be appreciated."

"I…I'll go and pack some things," she said faintly. She looked at her husband. "Cid, the teakettle is boiling. Why don't you serve our guests while I pack?"

"Weren't you listening, Shera? There's no damned time for—"

"Serve…the…tea."

Her lips barely moved as she said it, and her face felt frozen. Her husband noticed her frigid composure and for once, he backed down and humored _her_. "You just worry about packing and getting your butt on the Highwind," he said, "and I'll serve the goddamned tea."

* * *

Conducting the evacuation wasn't a simple matter, but they hadn't expected it to be. They split up and went door to door while Cid and his crew got the airship ready and Shera packed. Ushering people onto the Highwind without provoking a panic was a test of every social art they possessed, but between them all, they managed to get most of the town packed up and boarded within the hour. Reeve's charisma and social skills coaxed the reluctant. Zack's boyish charm and friendly nature inspired trust and affection. Angeal's calm and steadiness made people feel safe. As for Sephiroth and Genesis, people did as they directed simply because they were too afraid to piss them off with a refusal.

Zack came jogging over to Angeal and Genesis in the city square after trying the mayor's house. "No good. I've knocked and knocked, but he's not answering. Permission to break down the door?"

Angeal nodded and the two of them followed Zack to the mayor's home. They stood back and allowed Zack to kick the door in, and as soon as they walked through the threshold, the smell hit them. Zack gagged and Angeal hastily covered his mouth and nose with his hand. Genesis promptly manifested his wing and flapped it to fan some fresh air in.

The stench prompted Genesis to utter an expletitive most foul, to his own ears. "Ugh…Minerva's tits, that's disgusting!"

Realizing he'd just objectified his own goddess, he swore again and shut his eyes, silently begging her forgiveness. "Zack…find the mayor before this stench makes me spraypaint this place with my bile."

"Or before your poetry makes me puke," Zack coughed. He stepped around the coffee table and froze. "Never mind…I found him. He's right here on the floor."

Genesis and Angeal joined him to look. There, sprawled on the floor by the ratty couch amidst empty liquor bottles, was the mayor. He was a middle-aged man with sallow skin and a heavy paunch. His watery blue eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, and his mouth was slack and still. In one hand, he held a nearly empty bottle of whisky. In the other, he held a photo of himself at a younger age, standing beside a smiling woman in white. It appeared to be a photo of him and his wife on their wedding day.

"Sir?" Zack said, squatting down. He poked at him gently, grimacing at the smell wafting up from him. He looked up at his companions. "He's…um…pretty out of it."

Genesis visibly grappled with his own disgust and squatted down on the man's other side, to feel his throat. "This man is dead," he announced, "and he's probably been so for more than a day."

At that moment, Shera came through the door looking for them. "Mayor Owens? Did you find him?"

"You may not want to come in here, Mrs. Highwind," Angeal warned her. "I'm afraid he's been deceased for a while."

She saw the body on the floor before the big Soldier could block her vision, and her expression fell to sadness, without revealing any surprise. "That poor man. He's been so unhappy since his wife died. Can we determine the cause of death?"

Genesis sighed and looked around. "Going by the evidence, we can probably assume this was brought on by alcohol poisoning, a heart attack or a stroke. It doesn't matter now. We can't do anything for him."

"We should wrap him up and bring him with, nonetheless," insisted Shera. "He deserves proper burial."

There was a distant rumble, and the ground trembled slightly.

"We don't have time for that," Genesis informed the woman. "He's gone. We have to focus on getting the rest of this town evacuated."

She shook her head. "The mayor had his problems, but he was a good man. I can't just leave him lying there like that!"

Another, louder rumble made the pendulum light hanging from the ceiling wobble.

"I can start wrapping him up," Zack offered solicitously. "We don't have time for anything fancy, but that throw on the couch might do the trick for now."

"Thank you," sighed Shera, reaching for the item.

She stumbled a little as another rumble sounded, and she stopped and stared at the men as it occurred to all of them that thunder wasn't the culprit. The disturbance was rhythmic, like footsteps. Dust drifted down from the ceiling and plaster broke free to land in Shera's bound hair as another stomp shook the ground. She lost her balance, but Angeal quickly righted her and his dark blue eyes gazed steadily into hers as he nodded in the direction of the body and asked a low, urgent question.

"Mrs. Highwind, does that man have family that you know of?"

She shook her head. "Not anymore, no."

"Then I'm afraid we have to leave him." Angeal glanced at Genesis, his jaw tense. "Funerals are more for the living than the dead."

Genesis nodded in agreement and he braced himself as another stomp shook the ground. "Why do I get the feeling—" He started to say, but Reeve's shouts from the street interrupted him.

"It's coming! Get Shera aboard the Highwind and assemble for the attack right _now_!"

* * *

"Highwind, what the hell are you planning?" Reeve demanded when he realized that Cid was handing control of his ship over to one of his training pilots.

"I'm gonna help you people take that big tin can down, that's what I'm planning!" He turned his attention to the young pilot. "Kid, listen up…don't look at _him_, look at _me_!"

The shaken young trainee gulped and looked away from Reeve, nodding at Cid convulsively. "Y-yes sir, Captain Sir."

Cid motioned at the control platform. "Now listen here, I've set her on a course straight for Junon Harbor. All you've got to do is maintain speed and altitude, understand?"

Again, the trainee nodded. His brown eyes were wide with terror, beneath the uniform cap he wore on his head. "B-but what if I have to dodge something?"

"Then you hit this switch to turn off the autopilot and you dodge it," answered Cid, "and when you're out of hot water, you turn it back on. You know the drill, kid! Time to put your training to good use! Shera will help you if you get stuck, and—"

"I'm staying here with you."

Cid stared at his wife. "The _hell_ you are! You're taking this boat out of here with everyone else!"

"Not if you intend to carry through with your plan," she insisted stubbornly. "You _need_ me, Cid. You'll never get that thing calibrated right for launch, without my help."

Cid groped his mussed, straw-colored hair with his gloved hands, as if fighting back the urge to shake her silly. "Are you really gonna pull this shit _again_, woman? We've done this before and—"

"—And after the launch failed, you found out I was right," she interrupted, raising her voice just enough to be heard over the noise of the scrambling crew and the engines. "Cid, you have to trust me! I can help you make this work! Otherwise, give it up and fly the Highwind yourself, because I won't budge on this."

Reeve looked between the two of them as they glared at one another. "Would one of you mind telling me what this plan is, exactly? And while you're at it, you might want to get over this lover's spat and decide what you're going to do. The target is going to be in range in less than ten minutes and this airship needs to take off and get scarce while it still can."

* * *

Zack, Sephiroth, Angeal and Genesis were about ten yards ahead of the barricade set up by the regular militia, prepared to move in on the approaching menace first, to provide a distraction for the ranged attackers. Reeve came up between Sephiroth and Angeal, holding up a scanning device and fiddling with it as he watched the towering creature approach.

"Imagine unwrapping a holiday present and getting something like this, as a kid," he murmured. "It would be cool, until it started blowing everything up."

The SOLDIER officers stared at him. Angeal was the first to say something. "Commissioner, is there a reason you're standing here with us, when you should be back there under cover? If we can't hold the line, you need to escape."

"I'm aware of the escape plan," assured Reeve. "I just wanted to try and get some readings, before it moves into range. Big surprise; I'm getting jack shit."

"I'm not sure readings are the things you should be focusing on," Angeal said, keeping his eyes fixated on the target. "Commissioner, I think you should get back behind the barricades and be ready to activate the mainframe defenses."

"I will," promised Reeve. "In just a moment."

"You'll do it now." Sephiroth turned his head to look the older man in the eye, his feline gaze stern and cold on him.

Strangely enough, Reeve didn't find Sephiroth's gaze any more intimidating than Vincent's. "In a minute, General. I think I should inform you that Captain Highwind is—"

At that moment, there was an enormous grinding, groaning sound from within the town, where the rocket launch pad was located. Sephiroth and the others turned to see Shinra no. 26 tilting slowly but surely towards the threat on the horizon.

Sephiroth frowned at the spectacle and he looked at Reeve. "Is there a reason why Shinra no. 26 is rotating on its launch pad and pointing this way, Mr. Tuesti?"

Reeve glanced over his shoulder at the town, where the rocket it was named after was slowly pivoting on the base of its pad. By the looks of it, the rusty old thing might drop without warning at any given time and crush anything beneath it.

"Captain Highwind insists on giving Shinra no. 26 the launch denied to her, for so many years."

Zack's eyes bugged out. "_Now_?" He made a wild gesture at the gigantic creature, looming larger with each passing moment. "He wants to try and go on a space trip _now_, when we're about to go up against Shiva knows what? Is he out of his fucking _mind_?"

"Permission to put a stop to this madness, General," sighed Angeal, looking to Sephiroth.

Sephiroth hesitated, and he looked between the creature approaching in the distance and the rocket, still pivoting on its stand. "I'll allow it."

Angeal started off, but Sephiroth stalled him with a gloved hand on his bicep. "You misunderstand," explained the general when the bigger man gave him a confused look. "I meant that I'll allow the rocket plan. The rest of us are to adhere to the original plan. Reeve, get back behind the barricades and instruct from there. If we fail to hold the line against this creature, retreat."

"Absolutely," agreed the engineer. He gave the creature approaching one last, curious look. "We _do_ need samples, you know."

"You're starting to sound like Hojo," warned Genesis cryptically, overhearing, "best you step lightly, Reeve."

"I assure you, I have no interest in filling that man's shoes," Reeve muttered. "You should know better than to think I'd march to his tune. I'm just saying—" he motioned at the massive body tromping their way, "—this thing is un-scannable. In our current state, if there are more of them, we have no way to detect them via normal tracking. We need more information."

Sephiroth sighed. "I see. Are there any particular areas of interest to you?"

Reeve looked up at the creature again, inadvertently taking a step back as its next stomp reminded him that objects in mirrors were closer than they appeared…quite literally. "Well," he gasped, "any samples would help, but if I were a guessing man, the brain might be the way to go."

"Are we even sure that thing _has_ a brain?" Zack rubbed his chin and stared at the creature thoughtfully.

"_Something_ is running the show," insisted Reeve. "Whether it's an organic brain or big computer chip, I'd like it intact."

"We'll see what we can do," assured Sephiroth. "Now get behind the barricades and be prepared to link with your chopper's mainframe quickly, should this end badly."

Satisfied that the SOLDIER operatives would do their best to procure the sample for him, Reeve did as he was told.

* * *

Together, the four officers began their advance on the creature closing in on the town. So far, it didn't appear to be making any aggressive moves, but they knew those weapon panels on its shoulders could open up at any moment.

"Try to lure it away from Rocket Town," instructed Sephiroth as he tested his communication headset. "If we can spare the settlement from destruction, we should do so. Stay alert and don't make yourself too attractive as a target. We work together. If anyone begins taking too much heat, the rest of us should concentrate on drawing its fire. When I signal the ranged team to attack, I want you all to get out of the way so as to provide them with a clear, unobstructed shot. Is any of that unclear, Zackary?"

The raven-haired man raised his eyebrows. "Why are you singling _me_ out? I know how to follow directions. Gen's the hot-head of this group."

"I stand corrected," allowed Sephiroth. His emerald gaze shifted to Genesis. "Was any of that unclear to you, Rhapsodos?"

Genesis smirked at him. "I'm aware of the situation, General." He drew his blade and looked up at the creature as he manifested his wing. It apparently noticed them and began to take an interest, moving a little faster, now. "He who collects the most body parts wins."

"This isn't a competition," admonished Angeal, shouting after the redhead as Genesis took to the air. "He's going to get himself killed," he muttered in closing, before taking flight to follow the other man.

"Aw, man," Zack complained when his mentor and Sephiroth took off, leaving him alone on the plain. He readied his sword and began to run, again envying his companions for their powers of flight—even if they thought of themselves as monsters. "Sure would be handy to have a wing or two of my own, so I could keep up with you guys."

Up ahead of him, Genesis had finished closing the distance and he was preparing to engage the target. Evidently recognizing the threat, the creature opened its weapon panels and backed up. Genesis didn't allow time for the lasers to power up. He dove in with his sword leading the way and he slashed at the left shoulder panel, cutting a gash in it. The creature swatted at him and clipped him in passing, but he rolled with the hit and stayed in the sky.

Angeal activated a Barrier spell around himself as he joined his companion, practicing more caution than Genesis. He tossed a second Barrier spell up around both of his companions and Sephiroth gave him a nod of thanks, before igniting a Fire spell against their opponent. The flames didn't seem to trouble the creature overly, but the general's primary intent was to seek out and identify possible weaknesses. Sephiroth avoided a retaliatory beam of white-hot energy, fired from the creature's hand. The panels on its shoulders lit up and the general was forced to take further evasive action as hundreds of little beams streaked through the air at him.

Angeal came in behind the creature as it turned, taking advantage of its distraction. As it pivoted on its feet in its attempt to shoot Sephiroth down from the sky, Angeal cracked the Buster Sword violently against the back of its head. The hit was actually hard enough to make the creature stagger, and it sufficiently got its attention. It struck out at Angeal and knocked him away before he could avoid it. The big man flew backwards and skidded on the ground, leaving a gouge in the earth in his wake. Zack ran over to him and helped him back to his feet, while Genesis attacked the beast furiously, using both sword and materia.

"You okay?" Zack asked as Angeal got to his feet and shook his head to clear it. The younger man steadied him until he caught his balance.

"Fine," assured Angeal.

He looked up at the spectacle of Sephiroth and Genesis playing tag team against the target. Genesis cried out when an energy blast clipped his wing in passing, and some scorched feathers floated to the ground. Angeal wasted no time getting back up into the air and he closed in on the target again, concern for his lover hastening his advance. Zack charged in behind him, yelling wildly as he closed in on the creature. Unlike his comrades, he couldn't physically reach higher than the creature's kneecaps, but his powerful leap propelled him straight and true, and he drove his sword into the target's calf with enough force to pierce it. Zack clung to the hilt of his weapon as the creature tried to shake him off, stubbornly maintaining his hold.

Determining that they had the creature's full attention, Sephiroth decided it was time to prepare the ranged teams to fire their arsenal and hopefully end this swiftly. He checked the progress of the rocket pad while his companions fought on, trying to determine whether it would be ready to launch as planned.

"Highwind, do you copy?" he asked over the frequency.

* * *

"I copy you," Cid answered, grimacing as he pulled a lever into place. "We're about to fire her up. I got a nice, clear shot at this bitch and I don't want it to go to waste!"

"Missile team, prepare to launch on my mark," said the general. "I'll have my men out of the way in ten seconds. Fire everything you have at the target when I give the signal. Captain Highwind, good luck."

Cid puffed on his cigar and switched the intercom on. "Shera, what's your status? We ready to go or what?"

Her voice crackled over the system. "All engines are secure. I'm on my way out, now. How is the autopilot system?"

Cid fooled around with the controls. "She's cooperating with me so far. Her trajectory might be a little off, but we don't need pinpoint precision…just need to hit the fucker."

"Just make sure you aren't on board when we launch, Cid. I know you wanted to ride the rocket, but this is going to be a one-way trip."

"I ain't interested in blowing myself up, woman," he assured her. "You just get your fanny out of that engine room and away from the launch pad. I'll be out soon enough."

* * *

"Look out, Zack!"

The warning came just as a giant, chitin-armored fist came down. Zack rolled away, and he winced as it struck the spot he'd just been standing in. Cracks spread out like a web, the earth breaking open under the force of the blow. While it was still recovering, Zack took advantage of its stooped position and he sprinted right up the creature's arm and onto its back. He plunged his sword down where the shoulder met the arm and he yelled. The creature straightened up and tried to swat at him, but Sephiroth came swooping in at that moment and the razor blade of his masamune sliced one of the creature's claws right off. Zack stabbed again, and yet again before the roaring monstrosity finally shook him off its back.

"Enough," announced Sephiroth. "Fall back, men. This is our chance to give our companions the opportunity they need to finish this. Do _not_ remain within the blast radius when those missiles start to fire. Get clear and stay back, until our ranged units have unloaded all of their ammunition."

"Understood," answered Genesis.

"Affirmative," said Angeal. He grabbed Zack on his way as he flew out of range, and the younger Soldier clamored onto his back with his help, riding the big man away from the target.

"All units, you have a go," Sephiroth informed over the frequency. "Weapons free."

* * *

Reeve squinted against the sunlight, shielding his eyes from the rays as he stood behind the barricades and watched the missiles arch through the sky toward the target. The creature roared angrily as its prey fled, and it seemed unaware of the new peril fast approaching it as it took chase after them. The ground shook so badly with the creature's angry stomps that Reeve almost fell against one of the MP's manning the missile launchers. He caught himself and hastily apologized to the woman when he accidentally touched her ass.

"Sorry, that wasn't deliberate," he excused, blushing through his beard as she glared at him through the protective visor on her helmet. He dug his mechanized goggles out and put them on, so that he could monitor the situation more closely. The first missile hit and exploded with a resounding "boom" as it struck the creature's torso. The hit sufficiently distracted the creature from going after the SOLDIER operatives, and as it turned to face the barricade in the distance, five more missiles struck it.

"Damn, that thing is tough," observed Reeve with a frown when the smoke cleared enough for him to see that it was still standing. The ranged team was hastily reloading the launchers and the ground trembled even more as Shinra no. 26 ignited in town. Reeve twisted around to look as the rocket started to launch, and he hoped to hell it wouldn't fizzle out on its way to its target and land on him and the other people behind the barricade.

"Fire!"

More missiles streaked out, just as the creature's weapon panels began to light up ominously. Reeve gritted his teeth and took a step backward, toward the chopper. "I think maybe it's time for me to get inside and activate my control panel," he informed his companions. "Remember not to cross the barricade. My shield has a limited range and if you're not inside of it when it goes off, well…you'll be toast."

Just before he ducked into the chopper to get in his control chair, Reeve saw a piece of the creature's armor drop to the ground, cracked open by the missile assaults. At least they were making a dent.

* * *

"That thing's about to fire on our people," Zack informed his mentor, looking over his shoulder at the dwindling creature. "Maybe we ought to try and draw its attention again!"

"We have to trust Reeve to handle it," Angeal reminded him. "Highwind's rocket is about to launch and if we go back to engage that thing again, we'll be flying in the line of fire. Stick to the plan, Zack."

The smaller man sighed. "I sure hope his gadgets work like he says they will, or we're gonna lose a lot of people."

"Tuesti has good reason to make it work," Genesis called out. "His life is on the line if he fails and you can count on self preservation to boost his determination. The man wants to live as much as the rest of us."

"More than," agreed Sephiroth tonelessly.

Zack frowned at him. Even in the heat of battle, he could sense the apathy in the general's tone. He might not be suicidal anymore, but Sephiroth didn't give a damn whether he lived or died. Ever mindful of his friend's state of mind and desiring to see them happy, Zack wondered what, if anything, he could do to boost Sephiroth's spirits. When a slew of energy bolts shot over he and the other SOLDIER operatives, Zack's thoughts were torn away from Sephiroth's mental state. He yelled a curse as the lasers closed in on the ground team up ahead, and he uttered a prayer under his breath for Reeve and the missile team.

* * *

"Fuck. Fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-FUCK!"

The brutal string of swearing echoed inside the cabin of the aircraft. Reeve dove for his control seat and plugged in. His hands were shaking and it took a couple of tries for him to select the proper data sequence via the sensitive touch panels on the arms of the chair. His pupils dilated as he communicated with the mainframe and his circuit-grafted fingers tapped in the code.

"Come on, baby," he muttered, sweat beading his brow. "Work for Daddy. Don't glitch out on me now."

The scintillating shield manifested and spread out, covering the area surrounding the chopper in a protective bubble. Looking at the monitor attached to his seat, Reeve could see that one of the other choppers was outside the safety zone and he cursed again. There was no help for it…he couldn't expand the shield any further without weakening it, and it was better to lose an aircraft than human lives. Reeve clenched his jaw and looked around furtively as the first explosions went off, crackling as they hit the force shield. The kinetic energy lit the area up, and the ground shook as the engineer's invention repelled the enemy fire.

"Shield's holding," announced Reeve over the frequency. "I don't know how many more direct hits we can take, though. Captain Highwind, tell me you're ready to go on your end. We've got a short window of opportunity, here."

His answer came in the form of the noise from the rocket engines, soaring overhead. Reeve grabbed the arms of his chair and braced himself, picturing the rusty old rocket falling right out of the sky to flatten him.

"Keep going," he muttered, looking at the monitor again to see what was going on outside. He adjusted the angle of the camera and he watched with a sigh of relief as the streaking trail of ignition painted a smoky line across the blue sky. The target in the distance was readying another volley of energy blasts and Reeve took a steadying breath, hoping their attack would strike before the creature could fire off another round.

"Shinra no. 26 is away," Cid's voice announced. "And she's a beut! Look at her go!"

The impact was spectacular. It seemed to be a direct hit, and for a moment, all Reeve could make out were explosions. The remaining missiles streaked in to join the rocket, and the noise was deafening. "What's the status?" Reeve asked over the communications. "Can anyone confirm whether the target is still intact or not?"

* * *

"I'll fly closer for confirmation," Sephiroth decided. He looked at his companions, now standing behind the barricade with the others, within the protective energy shield. "Stay here and be prepared to move in on it again. If this attack didn't finish it off, it will be up to us. There's nothing more the regular militia can do, here."

"What about the choppers?" Zack asked. "They could shoot at it from the air, right?"

"After what we've seen so far, it would probably be a waste of ammo," replied the general. "Ordinary bullets can barely scratch this thing. The aircrafts' rockets should be saved as a last resort. If we can't take this creature down, I want the rest of this team to retreat while we distract it."

The general's black wing manifested then, but before he could take to the air, something large came whistling overhead.

"Heads up!" Zack hollered upon identifying it as a piece of the creature's body. It was a bit ironic that the body part in question appeared to be…a head.

Everyone scattered as the thing landed with a crash and rolled into the barricades. It hit the remains of the chopper they lost in the first wave of laser fire and it came to a stop. Genesis peered out over the plains and he raised a brow. "I think we can safely categorize this enemy as 'deceased'."

The others looked out as well to see the enormous body falling slowly, bringing up a fresh cloud of dirt as it hit the earth.

"Reeve, you can deactivate the shield, now," Sephiroth said over the transmission. "Target is neutralized. Good work, everyone."

Reeve came out of his chopper again after the bubble dissipated, and he looked a bit startled when he saw the lifeless head of the creature amidst the shrapnel that was once a helicopter. Genesis pointed at it with his sword.

"Well, you wanted a brain sample. I suggest you begin carving."

* * *

"That was so disgusting." Zack wiped his hands on his pants for about the fiftieth time, grimacing as the MP's loaded up various bits of the creature for study.

"I think it's interesting, how it has both mechanical and organic properties," Reeve said absently, holding up a jar with a chunk of flesh in it. "The brain appeared to be similar to ours. Unfortunately, I'm going to need the assistance of the science team to come up with anything conclusive. I'd much rather work with Hollander, but Hojo's input could be invaluable, in the interest of finding answers sooner. I can't really split hairs. We need to know if this thing really was a WEAPON.

Shera regarded the sample with intrigue. "And what if it is?"

"If it is, then there could be more of them, somewhere in the world."

"I'm sure if there are, they'll make their presence well-known, soon enough," Genesis observed. He kicked aside a stray piece of the creature's armor, lying in the dirt next to a missile launcher. "This thing wasn't exactly subtle."

"And if there are more of them," Angeal murmured, "we could be in for another catastrophe. Look at the firepower it took for us to take this one out. I don't even want to imagine another one like this, attacking one of the bigger cities."

"I think it may be time to discuss emergency shelter options with the president," Reeve sighed. "I've been putting it off, but Rufus needs to know what I've been working on."

"And what if he orders you to stop?" Genesis asked.

"He isn't like his old man," explained Reeve. "He may not be happy to learn I've been using my company budget to design a defense compound instead of weapons, but Rufus isn't as concerned with money as his father was. I think he can be reasoned with and convinced that we're better off putting safety before aggression."

"I think you're confusing Rufus with Lazard," Zack said dryly, leaning back against one of the choppers. "The whole reason you've been keeping this hush-hush is because the president is so aggressive."

"And we may be thankful for that, some day," answered Reeve. "Rufus is a decisive leader, even if he isn't a compassionate one. I don't have a choice, now." He looked at the sample jar again, narrowing his eyes on it. "With aggressors like _this_ on the loose, none of us have many choices."

Nobody argued with that.

* * *

A few days later after settling the new refugees in and conducting research, Reeve convinced President Shinra to go with him and Lazard to Modeoheim. He told him that he had an important breakthrough to share with him and it was related to national security. The look on the president's face as they rode in the chopper said that he was getting very suspicious.

"I'd like you to tell me exactly what this 'breakthrough' is, gentlemen," advised Rufus. "I'm not fond of being kept in the dark on matters of the state."

Lazard and Reeve glanced at each other. "It's better to show you, trust me," answered the older man. "Any attempt I make to explain it will fall short, without a visual."

"You'll need to see it to believe it," agreed Lazard.

"So you're in on it, whatever 'it' is," reasoned the president, narrowing gray eyes at his half-sibling. "How quickly you form alliances behind my back."

"We aren't planning to overthrow you," Reeve sighed, exasperated. "This has nothing to do with a coup against you, Mr. President. This has to do with the future safety of the masses. We've confirmed that the creature we brought down outside Rocket Town was a WEAPON, as suspected. Destroying just _one_ of them took a pretty massive effort. Imagine what we'll be up against if more than one were to converge on our cities."

"I understand that," snapped Rufus, "and while I agree the situation demands added security measures, I can't imagine what you could possibly show me in Modeoheim that will make any difference."

"You'll see," promised Reeve, smirking. "And I think you'll be impressed."

* * *

Rufus wasn't impressed.

"I'm not impressed. Anyone could have come up with the idea to hide in a cave system. I fail to see what's so special about this."

Reeve walked through the abandoned city, coaxing the blond man to follow him. Lazard fell into step with him, looking around with interest. This would actually be the first time the SOLDIER director got to see the results of Reeve's recent efforts for himself.

"The cave system itself isn't what makes this special," insisted Reeve. He fished out a remote from his blazer and activated it. Rufus gave a little start as hidden panels slid open on the mountainside, to reveal the solar cells beneath it. The president frowned up at them. "Solar panels?" he guessed.

Reeve nodded. "And that's just the beginning. On the other side of the mountain, there's a cavern big enough to serve as an airport. I have people working on building a panel to conceal it, now."

They approached the entrance to the cave system, where a few staff members were working on a massive gate. Reeve turned around and walked backwards, urging Rufus to keep following him. "Wait until you see the hydroponic gardens we've started to grow. I'll give you a complete tour of the facility, and then you can decide whether or not it's been a wasted effort. I think by the time we've finished here, you'll agree this is a worthwhile endeavor."

"Don't hold your breath," warned Rufus. "It takes more than an automated panel system to impress me."

Reeve's confident expression didn't falter.

* * *

-To be continued


	28. Chapter 28

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter twenty-eight: Mother is very angry

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters._**

* * *

After touring the emergency facilities in Modeoheim, Rufus reluctantly agreed to support the project. They returned to Junon and the next day, further reports came in of another WEAPON sighting. This one was seen in the sea, between the eastern and western continents. When reports indicated that the creature was heading for Junon, Rufus immediately ordered the city defenses activated, and Scarlet instructed her people to ready the Mako cannon. The sun was beginning to set as the two of them stood in Rufus' extravagant office together, staring out at the water through the big window. They were holding off on shutting the security panels on this level for now, if only so that they could have a clear view of what was happening outside.

"How close have they reported it now?" Rufus asked when Scarlet responded to something her people said over her transmitter.

"About twenty-three knots away," she answered, "and closing in steadily. It's fast, Rufus. As much as I loathe Tuesti, the work the man did on the cannon is going to make a huge difference. I doubt we'd have it powered up in time for a shot, in its previous state."

Rufus nodded, putting his hands behind his back and clasping them together. "The general and his officers are overseeing getting people to emergency shelter. If this thing attacks, hopefully we won't lose any civilians."

Scarlet turned her head and looked at him. "What _are_ these creatures, Rufus? Where are they coming from? I've done the reading but I still don't fully get it. Is the planet _consciously_ sending them after us?"

He shook his head, frowning. "I don't know. It could be that these creatures awoke with Omega, and it's simply taken them this long to move. All we can do now is deal with them to the best of our abilities, until our scientists can tell us more."

She sighed. "I _still_ can't believe you ordered Hojo's release from prison. The man is a certified lunatic and he's—"

"He's our most brilliant mind available to us, Scarlet. He can't do his work from a prison cell. We have people watching him at all times, and I'll be damned if I let them slack off. You'll just have to trust my judgment."

She grimaced, her hand slipping down covertly to pat her thigh, where she kept a slim pistol holstered under her dress. "If he tries anything, I'll shoot the bastard myself. He's the reason we're in this mess."

"My father is the reason we're in this mess," corrected Rufus. "Hojo was just a player, like yourself. If my father hadn't been so obsessed with developing the perfect super soldier, none of this would have happened."

"Hojo's obsession with Jenova and the stars was ultimately what brought us here, Rufus. The Deepground uprising might have occurred with or without Hojo's influence on Weiss, but he was the one who orchestrated the plan to awaken Omega. I'm fairly sure Deepground would have been happy to take over Midgar and leave it at that, if Hojo hadn't gotten involved."

He gave her an annoyed look. "Is it ever possible for you to allow anyone to have the last word?"

She gave him a sultry half-smile. "Why Rufus, you know me better than that."

He sighed.

* * *

Reno was just leaving his apartment when the alarms began to blare. He grimaced, looking at the MP's jogging past him on the street. "Things are going to hell in a handbasket, fast. I don't believe this shit."

He dialed his partner's number on his cell and lit up a cigarette as he got into his car. "Yo Rude…I'm on my way to HQ now. Have they seen it yet?"

"The WEAPON? No." Rude's voice maintained its monotone calm, despite whatever anxiety he might be feeling about the approaching menace. "Reports expect the thing to reach us in under twenty minutes, if it keeps its course. Better not be caught outside when it gets here, man."

"Yeah, I'm hurrying," agreed Reno. "Ain't this a bitch?"

"You said it, Red."

Reno started to put his car into "drive", and he nearly ran over Elena. He honked at her and rolled his window down to yell some abuse at her for jumping out in front of his car like that. "What the fuck, girl! You figure getting run over would be faster than being blown up?"

She ran round to the passenger side and slipped in, ignoring his glare as she put on her seatbelt. "Sorry Reno, but I didn't think you'd hear me if I yelled. I need a ride to HQ."

He took a drag and started driving, keeping a more careful eye out for pedestrians as he went. "So where's Cissnei? She ain't coming with you?"

"She's already at the tower," answered Elena, looking around at the activity on the streets. She waved at Zack as they drove past him and he waved in return. "How about Rude?"

"Same," he answered. He tapped the ashes off the tip of his smoke in the ashtray. "Maybe we'll get lucky and this thing will bypass us."

"We're never that lucky," she said.

* * *

"We have a problem."

Lazard turned to face Reeve, frowning at him. "You mean a larger problem than the one currently swimming toward us at an alarming speed? Please elaborate."

Reeve sighed and looked down at the phone in his hand. "I've gotten a report that another WEAPON was spotted to the east of the Cosmo area. It's definitely not the same one heading for us here."

Lazard combed his fingers through his feathered blond locks and sighed. "Damn it. They're coming out of the woodwork."

"I'm afraid so," Reeve answered. "And I have a theory as to why that is."

"What's your theory?"

Before Reeve could answer, the speakers announced that the WEAPON was in sight. The alarms blared even louder and the tower trembled a little as the mechanized weapon system began to take aim at the sea.

"Five knots!" shouted the MP's voice over the intercom system. "We have a visual! Take aim with the cannon!"

Reeve and Lazard hurried to the window as the security panels started to close. Through the slats of metal, they could see the wave caused by the WEAPON'S approach. White caps broke over the water as the creature started to emerge. It was impossible to see the fine details at this distance, but the WEAPON'S body was a peacock blue color and it looked like it had fins. Rockets launched from the harbor defenses, fired from both automatic launchers and those held by military personnel. The creature rose up and opened its maw, squinting those big, yellow eyes.

"I think we may want to step away from the window now," suggested Reeve nervously as the WEAPON'S mouth lit up with energy.

Lazard slowly backed away with him, his glasses reflecting the ominous light. "I think you may be right." Whether it was by design or coincidence, the creature's aim threatened to blast the very level the two men were on. Staying anywhere near the windows—even with the security panels down—would be an exercise in stupidity. Reeve and Lazard ran out of the office together, slamming the door behind them.

"The fire escape," urged Reeve, thinking quickly. "It's closest to the center of the building, and we can start making out way down. The blast is less likely to hit us, in there."

Lazard didn't argue with him. They heard the massive Mako cannon go off just as they made it into the fire escape, but the creature apparently got its attack off at the same time. There was the sound of glass shattering and the tortured groan of metal as enormous heat melted the security panels. The blast wave forced the fire escape door open before Lazard could move out of the way, striking him in the back. Reeve caught him as the blow knocked him out and he dragged him away from the door. The whole tower shook and Reeve almost went tumbling down the fire escape stairs, Lazard and all. He caught himself and leaned back against the wall, holding his companion tightly as much for his own comfort as Lazard's safety.

"Shit," he yelled when another blast struck the tower. Pieces of ceiling fell down and one of them struck him on the head, just hard enough to smart. "Can't have _both_ of us unconscious," grunted the engineer as he started to drag Lazard down the stairs, sticking close to the wall for balance. "We'll never make it out of here alive."

Of course, making it to the ground floor was no guarantee of safety, either. Truly, there was no place in the city that one could deem "safe" at a time like this, but since the WEAPONS attacks seemed to be focused on the top levels of the tower, it was a better idea than sticking around on the current floor.

* * *

On the floor above Reeve's, Rufus and Scarlet remained where they were. They braced themselves when the blast struck the floor beneath them and they both came close to losing their nerve and making for the fire escape as well. Displaying more guts than most people gave them credit for, they remained where they were and kept an eye on the horizon. The creature was clearly injured, but it was getting ready for another blast.

"A direct hit," Scarlet said after adjusting her ear peace and listening to the report. She grabbed Rufus' arm for support as another tremor threatened to knock her off her high-heeled feet. "They're powering up the canon for a second strike. In the meantime, our MP's will continue using missile launchers against it."

"Will it be ready to fire again before he fires against us?" Rufus nodded at the menace backlit by the setting sun.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she said grimly.

They got their answer a moment later, when the white beam of energy erupted from the WEAPON'S mouth. Rufus surprised them both by diving on top of her and covering her body with his own, when the blast punched through the wall and blew the opposite door of its hinges. They could smell the ozone in the air and Rufus' hair stood on end…it was _that_ close. Gasping, they lay on the floor until the threat was gone and even when it stopped, Rufus didn't dare get up. They listened carefully to the sound of the cannon getting off a second blast and Scarlet looked up at him with wide, blue-gray eyes.

"That one was dead-on," she informed him, smiling. "Straight to the face. The WEAPON is going down."

Rufus sighed and lowered his head to her shoulder in a brief, tired gesture of relief. She started to stroke his hair, but she hesitated and dropped her hand to the floor.

* * *

An hour later, they were discussing the situation in a meeting. Reeve had the world map up on the big screen and he'd marked the spots so far where the WEAPONS had made their appearances. He paced before the map while the other participants looked on. This time, none of the science team were present because Hollander and Hojo were both busy researching, trying to find any weaknesses they could. Samples had been collected by scuba divers almost immediately after the cannon finished off the WEAPON, to be compared with the samples taken by the one Reeve named "Diamond".

"We'll call this one "Sapphire," announced Reeve as everyone took their seats. "We need to identify each of these creatures, in case we start seeing patterns. We don't know if the one we killed in the harbor is even in the same family as the first one we killed."

"You mean how lions and tigers are both cats, but not in the same family?" guessed Zack.

Reeve nodded. "That's exactly right. We may find ourselves facing another 'Diamond' or 'Sapphire' again, soon. That's why we need to chart their appearance and make notes on how they attack, as well as any weaknesses we find."

"That makes perfect sense," agreed Lazard. He adjusted the ice pack he was holding against his head and he looked at Rufus. "I think we may need to think about evacuation, if these WEAPON sightings continue to rise. The shelter in Modeoheim may be put to use sooner than we thought."

"Let's not rush off to live in a cave, just yet," Rufus said dryly. "We've handled every WEAPON we've engaged so far. I don't intend to abandon this city until I know the odds are massively against us. Reno, I want you to put together a team to travel to the Cosmo area and deal with this other WEAPON. We can't leave it wandering the wilds. I'm sure it will attack any settlements it stumbles across and—"

"Sir," interrupted Reeve, frowning as he put his phone to his ear. A call had come in during Rufus' planning and he had some disturbing new information. "Another WEAPON has been spotted further south…heading toward Gongaga. It came up out of the ocean by a weapon dealer's house and he reported it as he went to hide in his basement."

Zack's expression froze, and his companions looked at him with understanding. The young man got out of his seat and looked at Lazard pleadingly. "Director? I…I need to go. I have to get my parents."

Lazard nodded. "I'll arrange transport for you immediately, Lt. Fair."

Angeal stood up. "I'm coming with you." His chiseled features were grave and determined, daring anyone to contradict him.

Genesis stood up and shrugged. "I'm with him."

Sephiroth also stood up. "I'll accompany you as well. Director, I'd like to bring some Seconds with us, as well as some regular MP's. We still don't know the range of these creature's powers and I'd rather be over-equipped than under."

"Make whatever arrangements you need," agreed the director. "President, I'll arrange for some SOLDIER operatives to accompany your Turks on their mission as well, if you like."

Rufus thought it over and nodded. "It's probably for the best."

* * *

"Zack, we'll get there in time," Angeal promised as his former pupil's knee bounced rapidly. "We'll reach them and get them safely out of there, before we deal with the WEAPON. You have my word on that."

"You can't promise that." Zack bit his lip and checked their itinerary for the fifth time in under a minute. "Can't this chopper fly any faster?"

"It's going as fast as it can," Sephiroth assured him. "Listen to your mentor, Zackary. You're not doing yourself or your parents any good, working yourself up this way. You need to stay calm and focused."

"They're my _parents_," snapped the brunet angrily. "Maybe none of you give a damn about yours, but I have a great relationship with mine and if they die…if something happens to them, I…I'll…"

Angeal rubbed the younger man's shoulders as Zack put his head into his hands and took a few deep, steadying breaths. "Just slow down," he advised, raising his voice a little to be heard over the aircraft's engines. "Until such time as you get confirmation that anything has happened to them, you need to assume your parents are still alive and safe. There haven't been any reports of an attack against Gongaga, yet. The WEAPON may pass right by it."

"That place isn't out in the open like the other cities these things have attacked," remarked Kunsel. "I've been to Gongaga Zack, and you practically have to be right on top of the place before you can see it. The WEAPON might not even notice it, with that thick jungle hiding it the way it does."

"You think so?" Zack looked at him hopefully, appearing so boyishly innocent it made Angeal's heart clench.

"Zack, you have to stay calm," encouraged the big man. "We'll get there soon."

"Give him a tranquilizer," suggested Genesis.

Zack glared at him. "I don't need to be doped up!"

"I beg to differ," answered the redhead. "You're no good to anyone if you work yourself up into a panic. It's going to take a few hours to reach our destination and with each passing minute, you're just making yourself worse. A single tranquilizer will settle you down and allow you to get some rest. By the time you wake up again, we'll be landing."

Zack stared at him, obviously torn. "Fine," he said after a few seconds. "Hand it over, if you've got one."

* * *

While the combat teams were flying to their destinations, Lazard, Reeve, Cid, Shera, Rufus and Scarlet discussed their options, if it did come to an evacuation. Reeve marked the new sighting on the map and he put his hands on his hips as he looked it over, sighing.

"My father used to have a saying," he announced to his companions. "The mother is always the true head of the family, and if _she's_ not happy, _nobody_ is." He turned around to face them, his dark gaze thoughtful and full of dread. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mother Gaia is very angry."

Cid bit off the end of his cigar and spit it out, ignoring the angry look he got from Rufus. "Don't give me any crap," he warned, "This place is half-trashed anyway. Me having a smoke ain't going to hurt anything." He lit the cigar and looked at Reeve. "So what are you saying, Tuesti? You think the planet's sending these overgrown toys after us?"

"The planet is sentient, to a point," answered the engineer with another look at the map. "I think the incident with Omega has Gaia feeling threatened. This may be her reaction."

"You keep referring to the planet as a woman," Scarlet sighed. "It doesn't have a blasted gender!"

Reeve shrugged. "Well, it's more like a woman than a man, to me."

"Volatile and fickle," agreed Rufus with a smirk Scarlet's way. "But the dubious gender of our world isn't the issue at hand. Reeve, are you suggesting this is a deliberate attack against humanity?"

"That's what I'm suggesting," agreed the engineer, "and the more of these things we find, the greater the danger. Our people might be able to take out these new ones, but will that be the end of it?"

"Then we need to locate their place of origin and put a stop to it," suggested the president coldly.

"I think that's easier said than done," argued Lazard. He winced as he pressed the icepack more firmly against the bump on his head and Reeve sighed.

"Here, let me take care of that for you." He activated the Cure materia on his bangle and healed the injury. "You should have done this right away, you know."

"I don't typically carry materia on me," excused the director with a relieved sigh, "but thank you."

"Say we _do_ end up having to evacuate," Cid remarked, "Is it a good idea to have everyone hole up in the same place? If this is some kind of extinction event like you're suggesting, we don't need to be painting a giant bulls-eye on our ass and gathering everyone in one convenient place."

"He has a good point," agreed Reeve, scratching his chin. "I think it might be a good idea to discuss splitting it up into several colonies. Not _too_ many, though."

"Again, I remind you that we haven't reached a point where we need to do that," Rufus said.

"I'm not saying we should start drawing straws right away," protested Reeve, "but we might want to come up with a plan anyhow. If we don't have to use it, that's great…but if it _does_ come to it, at least we'll have some idea of what the hell we're doing. I think we should be ready to move everyone in a hurry, if we have to."

"I can agree with that," Rufus finally said. "Everyone put your ideas on the table and we'll hash it out."

* * *

Hank Fair had been keeping up with the news, of course. Ever since the first WEAPON attacked, he and his wife Edna kept their eyes and ears out for further news. They knew their son was safe because he'd called them a couple of days ago, but each battle ShinRa fought with these creatures carried with it the risk of Zack's injury or death.

He was outside tending the garden with his wife when their son came running into the village, not bothering to greet people even in passing as he jogged through the dirt streets to the house he'd grown up in. Mr. Fair frowned in confusion when he saw Zack's SOLDIER friends at the entrance to the village, along with some other men in the uniforms of regular militia.

"Son, what's going on?" he asked when Zack approached and put an arm around Edna, ushering her toward the front door of the house.

"I'll explain inside, Dad," promised Zack, "just trust me."

* * *

While Zack explained what was happening to his parents, the other SOLDIER officers and their underlings arranged the evacuation of the town. Hearing that there was possibly a WEAPON on its way convinced them it was in their best interest not to argue with the general or his men. Fortunately, Gongaga was a small village, so the airship they'd brought with them would fit most all of the population. The remainders could ride in the three other choppers that had come with the SOLDIER chopper.

"When was the last time we slept?" Genesis wondered, disoriented by the time difference. In Junon it was nighttime now, but it was just approaching early evening in Gongaga.

"Eighteen hours ago, approximately," answered Angeal. He managed a smirk at his lover. "Don't tell me you're tired already. I've seen you stay awake for three days, reading your books and writing."

"Yes, well…I wasn't fighting gigantic terran monsters whilst doing any of that. I'm just feeling a bit ragged." He put a hand over his mouth to cover a yawn and he ushered more civilians to keep walking with the other.

"This shouldn't take long," encouraged Angeal. "As soon as we get these people safely boarded, we can intercept the target and hopefully take it out without suffering any casualties."

Genesis would have responded to that, but they heard the rhythmic stomping of gigantic footsteps in the distance. He looked at Angeal with wary aqua eyes. "Something tells me we need to pick up the pace."

* * *

Zack heard the approaching footsteps too, and he tried to hurry his folks up. "Come on, Mom…you don't have time to pack all this stuff! Just take what you need and get to the airship, okay? You can go shopping in Junon if you need more clothes, it's on me!"

She tucked a graying strand of dark hair behind her ear and looked up at her son with fond blue eyes. "You're a sweet boy Zack, but I'm not leaving these photos behind. Look, here you are as a baby, having your first bath."

He sighed. "Okay, I'll help you grab all of them. We've just got to hurry. I think it's coming."

"The beastie?" Mr. Fair asked, dumping another pair of trousers into his suitcase. "You sure that isn't thunder you're hearing?" Unlike his son, Hank's hearing wasn't particularly sharp.

"No, I've heard this sound before," insisted Zack, "and it's not thunder. Hurry it up, I want to get you two out of here as soon as possible!"

* * *

Kunsel was just heading out of the forest with his group when he saw it. The creature had approached more quickly than any of them expected it to, and he was thankful that the aircrafts were currently hidden from its immediate view by the hills surrounding the area. It wouldn't take long before it spotted them, however. He turned to gesture at the people following behind him—who saw the approaching danger and began to mill around in fear.

"Don't stop," Kunsel instructed. "It's okay, folks…we've still got time before it moves around those hills! Get on board and we'll take care of you!"

Maybe he shouldn't have spoken so soon, because while the WEAPON didn't appear to notice the group of aircrafts on the ground yet, it evidently understood that there was a settlement within the jungle. Perhaps the smoke rising from a chimney gave it away, or perhaps the creature sensed the old Mako reactor somehow, but the gem-like objects on its massive green shoulders began to light up ominously.

"Shit, it's going to fire!"

Kunsel put all thoughts of herding people onto the airship out of his mind as he turned and ran back into the forest, shouting warnings to his comrades the whole time. "General, Lieutenants! The WEAPON is out there by the hills and it's getting ready to—"

The rest of his warning was drowned out in the sound of the energy blasts. They streaked over the forest canopy while the SOLDIER operatives watched, and Angeal turned around with dread to face the town as they struck. Zack and his parents were still in there.

"Come on," Angeal shouted to his companions, not bothering to see if they followed him. He charged down the path, his mind on only one thing.

* * *

They were just stepping outside when Zack saw the incoming beams of energy. He grabbed his parents and dragged them back inside with him immediately, urging them towards the ladder leading down to the basement.

"Go on," he yelled, "hurry!" He waited for his parents to climb down before stepping onto the ladder himself.

That was when the blast hit.

* * *

Angeal stopped in his tracks at the sight of the burning village. That one attack managed to level three buildings, and one of them was the Fair home. He ran to the collapsed building, ignoring Genesis' shouts as the redhead cautioned him to watch where he was going. When Kunsel saw the ruin of Zack's family home, he too joined Angeal and they began shouting for their friend, digging through the rubble desperately.

"Zack! Can you hear us?" Kunsel's shout was raw with grief. The chances of anyone being alive in that mess were slim, but Zack had been known to have a fool's luck.

Angeal was likewise having difficulty containing his emotions. "Zackary! I swear to Shiva, if you don't answer me—"

Sephiroth paused before the house, studying it with brooding emerald eyes. "Angeal," he said, his voice almost gentle.

The airship was lifting off, having collected as many civilians as it could hold. All but two of the choppers went with it, getting out of the danger as quickly as possible. None of it mattered to Angeal or Kunsel. Both of them kept calling out to their missing companion, desperately searching for any sign that Zack Fair was alive in somewhere beneath the rubble.

Genesis approached the big man as Angeal pulled aside a burning chunk and scalded himself in the process. He reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. "Angeal, I think you may have to accept that he didn't make it. The creature is probably going to attack again and we need to—"

"We're _not leaving him_!" Angeal rounded on Genesis and the expression of fury and grief on his face made the redhead falter. "Either help me, or stay out of my way!"

Genesis backed off and looked at Sephiroth. He wasn't often a victim of indecision, but now his gaze was almost helplessly irresolute. Sephiroth stepped up beside him and looked up as the WEAPON'S emerald head and shoulders came into view above the tree line.

"They'll need a distraction, if he and Kunsel stand any chance of pulling Zackary out of there before this thing attacks again," muttered Sephiroth.

Genesis nodded and raised his sword, lighting it up with the signature red glow that gave it special properties. "Ready when you are, Sephiroth."

The silver-haired man considered the monster as he readied his own blade. "I'll go low, you go high."

"Agreed."

Angeal looked up from his task in time to see both of them manifest their wings and take to the air. Now suffering concern for their safety as well as Zack's, he hesitated for a moment before resuming his digging. He couldn't be everywhere at once, and his student needed him more than his lover and Sephiroth did, right now.

* * *

"Hey, I found the basement!" Kunsel shouted after several minutes of digging.

A couple of other SOLDIER operatives had joined in on the efforts, while the rest went to assist Sephiroth and Genesis in their fight against the WEAPON. Upon hearing his shout, they hurried over to him and helped him move the debris surrounding the basement entrance.

"Careful," cautioned Angeal, "one false move could cause a collapse."

With desperate care and haste, they cleared the area and Angeal climbed down into the basement to look for the object of their search. Someone handed down a flashlight to him when he made it to the bottom and he turned it on, murmuring Zack's name as he looked around. He saw him less than a foot away, lying sprawled over the earthen floor. Angeal's heart pounded when he saw the blood pooling around his head, and he swallowed hard and approached him.

"Zack?" The big man squatted by his protégé and oh-so-gently rolled him over to determine if he was still alive. When he saw the severe gash slashing over his forehead and his left eye. He quickly activated the Cure materia he kept on him, his hand shaking slightly as he hovered it over the injury. The gash began to close, but it didn't completely heal and Zack was still going to need medical attention to determine how bad it was.

"Did you find him?" Kunsel's voice called.

"Yes," answered the Lieutenant. "He's still alive, but he's badly injured and unconscious. I can't tell if anything is broken."

He was almost afraid to move him, but they couldn't very well leave him where he was. He looked around the basement and he located Zack's parents, lying a few feet away from him by some old barrels. A beam from the ceiling had come down on top of them, and Angeal had a horrible feeling in his gut. Kunsel climbed down to investigate and Angeal told him to watch over Zack while he checked on his parents.

"Mr. Fair? Mrs. Fair?" Angeal eased over to the couple, minding his head. The ceiling was low, designed for more average sized people to traverse beneath. Angeal was forced to duck to avoid hitting his head on any of the beams. He knelt between the Fair couple and he checked both of them for a pulse.

Kunsel's glowing hazel gaze met his across the distance. "Are they…?"

Angeal's face went through a spasm of pain on Zack's behalf, and he shook his head.

* * *

The WEAPON eventually went down, flattening vegetation and breaking trees as it fell. Sephiroth landed beside it and Genesis dropped down on top of it, preparing to drive his sword into its brain if he had to. The creature went still and Sephiroth checked their men for injuries. One of them suffered a severe burn from plasma fire and Sephiroth healed him with his materia, before giving another one with a twisted ankle a potion to drink.

"It's gone," confirmed Genesis. "It won't be getting back up again."

Sephiroth nodded. "We'll call this one Emerald, since Reeve has begun using gem references. You men collect some samples and prepare to board the remaining choppers, while Lt. Rhapsodos and I head back into the village to check on Hewley's progress."

"There's no need," Angeal's voice called.

They looked to see him walking the path out of the village, carrying an unconscious Zack in his arms with Kunsel and two other SOLDIER operatives flanking him. Seeing the ugly gash on Zack's face, Sephiroth frowned and approached.

"Nothing is broken, as far as I can tell," Angeal announced. "I've already used a Cure spell on him. He needs professional medical attention, Sephiroth."

"He'll have it," assured the general. "As soon as we return to Junon Harbor."

"Where are his parents?" Genesis asked, hopping down from the WEAPON'S chest to approach.

"They didn't make it." Angeal looked down at the unconscious young man in his arms. "It's probably kinder that he's not conscious, right now."

"The news is going to kill him," predicted Genesis with a frown. "Your puppy adored his family."

"Zack is stronger than you think," Sephiroth assured. "But for now, we should concentrate on finishing up here and getting him home. Don't forget that there's another WEAPON not very far from here, in the Cosmo area."

"The Turks are supposed to be dealing with that one," reminded Genesis, "but you're right, they may not be able to handle it on their own."

"I'll take him onto the helicopter," Angeal said, holding Zack a little closer. "Hopefully, he hasn't suffered a concussion."

* * *

They left as soon as they got the samples they needed to take back for study. The flight back to Junon was a quiet, grim one and they caught up with the rest of the convoy within an hour. The airship wasn't as fast as the helicopters in the formation, but Angeal insisted that the aircraft carrying them continue on with top speed, to get Zack back to Junon and in the hospital as soon as humanly possible. Sephiroth agreed with his demands and they flew on ahead of the rest of the escort, making all haste.

Reeve met them at the airport when they touched down, having been notified of the situation in Gongaga. There was open pity on his face as the medics he brought with him got Zack onto a stretcher and wheeled him away.

"That poor kid," sighed Reeve as the SOLDIER officers watched with him as they hustled Zack away. "At least it was fast."

"I doubt that will comfort him," Angeal murmured. He drew a shaken breath. "They were good people, his parents. I liked them."

"We'll keep close tabs on his situation," Sephiroth said. "I want to know the moment he wakes up."

* * *

"The SOLDIER team destroyed the WEAPON at Gongaga," reported Lazard an hour later, "but not before it opened fire on the village and killed Lt. Fair's parents. They've named it 'Emerald' and the general has submitted a file with a full description."

Rufus nodded. "I see. The Turks succeeded in bringing down the one near Cosmo, but they lost four people in the process. Going by their description of it, we've decided to name that one 'Ruby'. Did your people suffer any casualties?"

"No, but Fair was injured badly. He's in surgery now to remove some shrapnel from his face and skull that his companions weren't able to get out when they rescued him from his house. We won't know how serious it really is until they've finished."

"A shame. He's a good Soldier." Rufus didn't sound very compassionate, but then, he didn't have a personal relationship with any of the SOLDIER operatives, like his half-brother did. "Do we have any idea where these creatures are coming from, yet? Reports suggest that Ruby came up out of the desert sand, near the old Corel prison. I don't know if that's true, but the location fits.

"The Diamond WEAPON came from somewhere to the north of Icicle," Lazard mused, "and Sapphire may have come from a place under the ocean floor. Reeve thinks these creatures have been sleeping for thousands of years, hibernating until the planet needs them."

"So then there's a chance we won't see more of these things," Rufus suggested. "If they were created thousands of years ago, there can't be that many left."

"I'd like to think that's true," agreed Lazard, "but Tuesti pointed out that if the planet could make them once, it can make them again. They could keep coming."

Rufus sighed. "Hojo. I swear, the temptation to shoot the man myself gets stronger every day."

"Our father is as much to blame as Hojo," reminded Lazard. "And we need the professor's knowledge, right now. Shoot him after he helps us understand these WEAPONS better."

"He may have doomed us all," Rufus growled. "And here we are, forced to keep him around. I can ordinarily appreciate irony, Lazard, but this is just damned inconvenient."

The director nodded, for once empathizing completely with his half-sibling. "I know."

* * *

"Lt. Fair is in recovery now," announced the doctor to the SOLDIER operatives.

Kunsel had fallen asleep on a row of chairs in the waiting room and he came awake with a snort when he heard the man's comment. He sat up eagerly and rubbed his eyes. "Can we see him?"

The doctor hesitated, looking at each young man in turn. "I think you should avoid crowding him, right now. Only one of you should go in there. He's dealing with the loss of his parents and we were unfortunately unable to restore vision to his left eye. We saved the eye itself, but it's been permanently blinded."

Genesis got up to stand beside his lover. "What about the shrapnel? Did you get all of it?"

"Yes, we did," assured the doctor with a nod. He looked up at Sephiroth. "General, I strongly advise that you sign this young man up for therapy and give him an honorable discharge from the military. I can't tell you how to do your job, though."

"I'll arrange the therapy," answered Sephiroth, his voice betraying no emotion. "But Zackary's future with SOLDIER is up to him. If he feels he can learn to compensate for the loss of vision and wants to remain in the service, I won't deny him that right."

The doctor looked like he wanted to say more, but he hesitated and nodded. "Fair enough. Choose one person to go in and see him, please. As I said, we don't want to overwhelm him."

All eyes turned to Angeal. There was really only one answer to the question of which of them should be the first to visit their stricken comrade.

"Go and be with your puppy," suggested Genesis. "We'll wait in the hall while you visit."

* * *

They watched quietly as the muscular First entered his former pupil's recovery room. Zack was awake and they had bound a gauze patch over his left eye and the slashing injury. He looked up at his mentor as Angeal knocked on the wall to announce his presence and came in. Angeal stopped at Zack's bedside and spoke softly to him. Zack's face looked haggard, his hair tangled and unkempt. He looked away from Angeal, visibly struggling with his emotions as the bigger man spoke.

"Zack…I'm sorry." Angeal laid a gentle hand on Zack's shoulder. "So sorry."

Zack swallowed and shook his head. "Not your fault. You tried."

Angeal bowed his head, the corners of his mouth turning down unhappily. "If there's anything we can do for you, name it. We're all here for you, Zack."

The younger man swallowed again, before speaking in a husky murmur. "I just want to be alone."

Angeal started to honor his request, but he hesitated and shook his head. "I don't think you need to be alone right now."

A tear etched its way down Zack's right cheek and he sniffed, rubbing his nose carelessly with the back of his hand. "D-don't care what you think. Just…go."

Angeal shook his head. "I can't. Not when you're like this."

He sank gingerly down on the edge of the bed and he put an arm around the younger man, drawing him into a careful embrace. Zack started to cry in earnest and Angeal pulled him to his chest, stroking his matted hair.

"It's okay," Angeal told him. "Let it out."

Zack's fingers curled over Angeal's shirt, balling into a fist. Harsh, wracking sobs shook his body and the bigger man rocked him, softly encouraging him to grieve as much as he needed to.

Watching from the hallway, Kunsel sniffed and wiped his eyes. Genesis gave the scene one last look and he nodded meaningfully at his companions. "I think we've lingered for long enough."

Sephiroth wordlessly joined him as he began to walk away, and Kunsel stayed behind for a couple more seconds before following suit. It would have felt like intruding, to keep standing there watching Zack vent his grief. The pitiful, raw sobs rang in their ears as the SOLDIER operatives left.

* * *

The rest of the week was spent recovering from all of the battles, losses and destruction they had endured. While Junon worked on repairs, Wutai was preparing for an evacuation. Tseng stood outside the Pagoda of the Five Mighty Gods with Yuffie, overseeing the evacuation. He was dressed in his Turk uniform, and she wore a pair of shorts and a tank top. Her weapon of choice, a big, formidable shuriken, was strapped to her back and she stood with her legs parted and her hands on her hips.

"I still think this is pushing it a little too far," she remarked, but she didn't stop the evacuation. People boarded the waiting ships anchored at the harbor, preparing to sail across the sea and set up residency in Cosmo Canyon. There was no telling how long they'd have to stay there. More WEAPONS had been spotted in various locations in the world, and power lines were down in a lot of communities. So far, there were no signs of WEAPONS near Wutai, but they had made the decision that it was better to relocate temporarily than stay so isolated.

"This is the safest decision," Tseng encouraged, his dark gaze on the colorful sails in the distance.

"We could have holed up in the caves around here," she argued. She pointed at the distant Da-Chao statues, looming massive in the distant mountains.

"But we would remain isolated," insisted Tseng. "And it would take longer for help to arrive, if we came under attack. This really is the right decision for now, Yuffie. President Shinra has informed me that soon, we may have to form colonies. There's no end to this in sight."

"Well, isn't the planet going to eventually run out of WEAPONS to chuck at us?" she reasoned.

"In theory," he said with a nod, "but we don't know how many of these creatures actually exist. Until we do, it's best to take precautions."

She sighed, her gaze sliding to the path leading to the graveyard, where her father's shrine was located. "I can't believe we're abandoning my home."

Tseng started to put an arm around her, but she shrugged out of his half-embrace with a warning look. "Don't try anything, pal."

The Turk heaved a quiet sigh. Perhaps he should consider telling her that if she didn't want to perform marital intimacy with him, she'd better be prepared for him to take a mistress. Thinking of the limp he'd recently earned when she kneed him in the balls, he wisely chose not to deliver that ultimatum, just yet.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in Nibelheim: _

"Tifa, what are you doing outside at this hour?" Cloud jogged over to the water tower, casting a wary look around as he approached her. "It's broad daylight!"

"I needed some fresh water for a bath," she explained. "I'm only going to be out here for a little while."

Since the WEAPON attacks began, the town lost power and the council ruled that no citizens were to go outside during daytime. The news reports said that so far, the WEAPONS only seemed to be attacking occupied settlements. They didn't seem to be interested in destroying the buildings so much as the people residing in them. Tifa's father proposed that they do their best to make Nibelheim seem deserted, after that. They spent their days indoors and they only went out at night, keeping all noise to a minimum. Every house had a basement now, so that every family could go underground for shelter in the event.

"Tifa, you can't risk it," Cloud insisted stubbornly. He had his broadsword sheathed in a scabbard at his back and his cornflower blue eyes scanned the horizon warily. "Would you rather be clean or dead?"

"Nothing is going to come by and step on me in the time it takes for me to gather a few buckets of water," she said, biting her lip.

He grumbled and looked at the water tower. "If you're really determined to do this, then I'll help you. I just want you safely back inside."

"Cloud, you don't have to."

"You want a hot bath and I know you won't stop until you get one." He gave her a bare hint of a smirk. "So let's hurry up and get your water, before your father finds out you're doing this."

She smiled at him. "Danke, Cloud. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Get smushed," he predicted, grabbing a bucket. "Hurry it up, Tifa."

Together, the two Nibel residents gathered the water Tifa needed for a bath, and they finished just in time. Tifa was first to notice the warning stomp from somewhere to the south, and when she looked in that direction with a frown, she saw a massive, humanoid creature moving towards the village and the surrounding mountains.

A hand grabbed her arm and she nearly swallowed her teeth in alarm, brown hair whipping as she turned. Cloud was standing there with an urgent look on his youthful face, his gaze fixated on the distant threat.

"Inside, Tifa. Come on."

She didn't argue with him. She was so shaken by the sight of the weapon that she didn't immediately take advantage of the bath she'd drawn and heated. In fact, all she really wanted to do as the footsteps came closer was go and hide in the basement.

"Tifa?" called her mother's voice from the master bedroom upstairs.

"I'm in the bathroom," she called.

"One of those creatures has been spotted coming this way," her father warned. "be quick and go down into the cellar, as soon as you're finished."

She looked at her forgotten bath, watching the inviting steam curling up from the water. "I'll go now," she agreed.

Cloud was still in the house, waiting in the living room when she stepped out of the bathroom. He held his sword in one hand and he was looking out the window. Tifa stopped and stared at him.

"You know, I think you probably _would_ try to fight that thing if it came into town," she observed.

He glanced at her, his fluffy, spiked blond hair partially covering one eye. He needed another haircut, soon. "I would, if it could keep you and your family safe."

She smiled at him again, finding his protective determination soothing. His mother passed away the year before and he'd unofficially adopted her family, afterwards. He hunted for them, he helped them with chores and he fended off many of Tifa's admirers, just like any loyal brother would have done. "We could fight it together, then. Both of us can protect the village."

"Maybe. For now, let's just go to the cellar with your parents."

She nodded. "Okay."

* * *

-To be continued


	29. Chapter 29

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter twenty-nine: An eye for an eye

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters._**

* * *

One of the most daunting challenges Zack faced as he recovered from his ordeal was the depleted depth perception. He realized how much this was going to affect him when he had issues using the bathroom. It took him two tries to flip the light switch on and he even had difficulty aiming when he relieved his bladder. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against the cool tiles of the bathroom wall, shutting his eye. He imagined his father telling him to buck up and stop feeling sorry for himself, and that only made him want to cry again. What he wouldn't give for his Dad's gruff advice, right now.

He spent an inordinate amount of time in the bathroom, because he didn't want to risk any of the hospital staff coming in and seeing him in such a state. When he composed himself, he came out to find a pretty young nurse had arrived in his room. The old Zack might have immediately tried to strike up a conversation with her, perhaps get to know her a little and maybe even ask her for a date, when he was feeling up to it. Now Zack could barely look at her, all too aware of the healing scar beneath his bandages.

"Hello Lieutenant," the girl greeted with a compassionate smile. Her brown hair was twisted into a little bun and her dark eyes were friendly and sympathetic on him. "I've come to show you the facilities menu. "You'll be with us for a few days, so you might as well pick your meals."

"I'm not hungry."

She hesitated, watching as he went to the window on slightly unsteady feet. He reached out to brace himself against the wall and he cursed as he missed. The nurse ran to his side immediately as Zack lost his balance and fell to his knees. He was shaking with humiliation and emotion as she stroked his hair and tried to soothe him.

"Lt. Fair, you _need_ to eat and regain your strength," she insisted. "Here, let me help you back to your bed."

He gulped down his emotions, not trusting himself to speak. She helped him back to his feet and assisted his steps, leading him back to his bed. He felt a cool breeze as the back of his gown parted with his motions and he flushed, hoping she didn't catch an eyeful. He managed a choked word of gratitude to her as he eased down onto the mattress. She adjusted his bed and stroked his hair one last time, before offering him a laminated menu.

"Pick whatever you want," she said. "Here's a pen. Just circle your preferences and I'll be sure you get the meals you've chosen, each day." She gently took his hand and pressed the pen into it, mindful that he was trying to adjust to his loss of depth perception. "Take your time, Lieutenant. You have to give yourself some allowances. You just woke up yesterday, after all."

He nodded. The evening before was a blur to him. He remembered waking up and sobbing against Angeal's chest like a baby, and then he must have fallen into an exhausted sleep—or they came in and dosed him, one of the two. He knew Angeal stayed with him for a while, at least until he drifted off to sleep. Then he woke up around mid-morning with a full bladder.

"I thought hospitals didn't let their patients sleep much," Zack muttered, squinting as he read the menu. His vision in his remaining good eye was as sharp as ever, but the "flat" feeling wouldn't go away and it was making his head hurt.

"We've been in and out of your room, checking in on you every hour," she assured him, "but Lt. Hewley insisted that we let you rest, unless the doctor said otherwise. I think he would have stayed here all night with you, if we would have let him sleep on the floor."

That made things suck just a little less, and if Zack weren't so devastated with grief, he would have cracked a smile. "Angeal's pretty stubborn, that way. He's like my big brother." He sighed and picked a few items on the menu, not much caring what they were. Even though his stomach was growling, food was the last thing he cared about right now. "Here you go."

She took the menu and the pen from him and she studied it. "By the sound of your tummy, you could use some food. I'll go and turn this in. They've already served breakfast this morning, but I'm sure we can get you something to snack on until lunchtime. The doctor will be in to see you in a little while and discuss your options, okay?"

He shrugged, lowering his eye. "Whatever."

She sighed softly, but she didn't say anything. As she started for the door, Zack thought he should at least know her name. He hadn't bothered trying to read her tag. "Miss? What's your name?"

"Deirdre," she answered, giving him a little smile over her shoulder.

Zack nodded. He didn't even take the time to admire the shape of her calves, or the way the skirt-uniform fit her feminine curves. He couldn't take pleasure in anything now…not the view of a pretty woman or the taste of food or the company of his friends.

* * *

"How is he?" Lazard asked of the SOLDIER officers when he called them into his office, a couple of days later.

Genesis gave him a look. "How do you _think_ he is?"

Angeal quietly admonished him. "The director is just concerned. Drop the attitude."

"It's all right," Lazard assured him. "I understand the frustration you all must be feeling. You share a comradery with each other that I can only envy. At the risk of sounding cold, do any of you believe Lt. Fair will be capable of resuming his duties, eventually?"

The three of them looked at each other. "I'll say the same thing to you that I said to the doctor," Sephiroth said, "It depends on Zackary. I would like to believe that he'll pull through this and find the strength to carry on, but we can't expect too much of him. This sort of loss can damage a soldier for life."

Angeal nodded. "Losing your family is bad enough, without having it happen right before your eyes and being unable to do anything about it. I don't want anyone pushing Zack."

"I have to disagree with that," Genesis said.

"Of course you do," muttered Sephiroth.

"Don't get smarmy with me," snapped the redhead, eyes flashing. "I know we'd all like cuddle and coddle the broken puppy. I admit to having grown an attachment to him as well; but if we _don't_ push him to drag himself out of this pit, he may become permanently mired in it."

Angeal scratched the stubble on his jaw thoughtfully, his gaze shifting to Sephiroth. "He may be right."

"Perhaps," admitted the general, "and I trust you to know better than any of us. I just hope Rhapsodos' suggestion doesn't backfire on you and make things worse."

"We'll give him some time," Angeal said. "Let him try to adjust at his own pace and be supportive. If he stumbles, we'll catch him."

"I'll give him a month, tops." Genesis' eyes dared them to contradict him. "I know a little something about where he's at right now, gentlemen. We all do." He looked at Sephiroth. "Especially _you_, General."

The silver-haired man lowered his startling green eyes thoughtfully, the pale lashes concealing his gaze and the thoughts therein. It was no secret between them that Sephiroth wasn't exactly thrilled to be alive. "Yes, I do."

* * *

While Zack struggled to cope with his loss and adjust to his handicap, his friends and fellow SOLDIER operatives had their hands full dealing with the growing threat of the WEAPONS. Refugees began to pour in from small settlements, telling horror stories of people being picked up and ripped in half like ragdolls handled by a malicious, careless child. AVALANCHE began to bolster fortifications in Ft. Condor, inviting the residents of surrounding settlements to come and take shelter there. Cosmo Canyon started to take on refugees as well, and not just from Wutai.

When word got out that the Gold Saucer was hit by not one, but _two_ WEAPONS, Reno was incensed by this—being a big fan of the chocobo races and gambling. His partner had to stop him from taking a chopper without authorization and going off to fight the creatures himself.

Rufus finally began to admit that perhaps it would be best to round up the population and divide it into colonies, as Reeve and his half-brother had been suggesting. Junon Harbor was practically a fortress in itself, but it was still out in the open and Rufus knew that if a group of the WEAPONS converged on them, they would lose the city. He told Reeve to hasten construction efforts in Modeoheim, and he began to look at the possibility of Cosmo Canyon as a new base of operations for himself and his Turks. He discussed this possibility with Scarlet one night, after a round of vigorous and none-too gentle sex.

"Let Lazard and SOLDIER run the Modeoheim colony their own damned way," Rufus sighed. "I'm happy to be rid of them."

She traced a fresh line of scratches on his chest. "But will the Cosmo residents cooperate with your leadership? That lion creature residing there is technically their 'chieftain'."

"I've met Nanaki before, and Tseng has spoken with him on the matter," Rufus assured her. "He says he's willing to share Cosmo with us, so long as we respect the sanctity of certain areas in the Cave of Gi. He's supposedly the last of his tribe, and while he has no interest in 'ruling' humans, Tseng says he'll want autonomy."

"Then let him lead his hippies and we'll lead our people," she suggested with a shrug of her naked shoulders. Her hand slipped lower under the sheets. "The Wutaian refugees are making it work so far. I don't see why we can't. Otherwise, there's always Ft. Condor as a possibility."

"Absolutely not," vetoed Rufus immediately, "I will _not_ share a base with those terrorists. I'd sooner shack up in the icebox with my spineless half-brother and his butt-fucking SOLDIERS."

Scarlet snickered in that way of hers that set teeth on edge, making Rufus clench his jaw. "To be fair, only three of them are known to be…er…butt-fuckers. Lt. Fair is a known womanizer—or at least, he was." She started to play, coaxing him back into a more convenient state for her desires. "Besides, I find it a little…exciting."

Rufus scowled at her. "Exciting? The thought of two men?"

"You'd be surprised, Rufus," she purred, "I'm not the only woman who thinks about it at times. As much as those SOLDIERS piss me off, I'd _love_ to walk in on Rhapsodos and Hewley, sometime."

Rufus yanked her hand off his groin and sat up. "Thank you, I've now lost all interest in sex."

Scarlet seemed more amused than bothered. "Are you really so insecure, Rufus? I know plenty of men who fantasize about a certain pair of female Turks on your payroll."

"That's different."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a petulant child. Come back to bed."

"Not if you're going to keep talking about men sodomizing each other. It's a turn-off."

"Would you rather have a spanking, then?"

Rufus paused in the act of getting out of the bed, and he turned to look at her.

* * *

As they feared, Zack's depression showed no sign of easing as days went by. The good news was that even though his interest in the things he normally loved had waned, he still managed to find the motivation to practice his swordsmanship. He did it alone at first, self-consciously avoiding an audience as he tried to teach his body how to fight under these new limitations. He tried shadowboxing first to keep his footwork and hand-to-hand skills sharp, and he used practice dummies for his swordplay. Every time his companions got called out for a mission, his frustration grew.

He became obsessed with getting back into his game—at least as a SOLDIER operative, if not the man he used to be inside. It was all he had left to motivate him. It was the only thing that took his mind off those last, horrible moments of desperation, when he failed to protect his loved ones from the incoming attack. Combat was the only thing he understood, now, and he avoided people whenever possible, distancing himself from associates and friends alike.

He didn't fully comprehend just how dark he was going until the day he accidentally hurt one of his dearest friends.

* * *

"The farmlands in the Grasslands area have been evacuated," explained Reeve to the assembly. This wasn't a meeting of corporate heads, it was a general conference to bring everyone up to speed on what was happening. As such, most of SOLDIER and the Turks were present, rather than just officers or upper ranks.

"Fort Condor to the south is taking in some families, and the rest have been relocated here in Junon," Reeve went on. He pointed at the map on the massive screen behind him, using an extendable wand. "Bone Village to the far north is still inhabited, for now. We've tried to convince the archeologists there that it would be in their best interest to relocate, but they're determined to stay."

Zack snorted. 'Idiots."

Beside him, both Angeal and Genesis stared at him. The couple exchanged a glance, but neither of them said anything.

"The residents of North Corel have gone to Cosmo Canyon," explained Reeve, indicating the map again. "There's also a town called Nibelheim close to that area, surrounded by mountains. Reports say it appears to be abandoned, though. We're considering sending a team there to investigate, but we have our hands full at this time trying to organize everything else. Nibelheim will have to wait."

Someone in the Turk section raised their hand, and Reeve nodded at them. "Yes?"

"I'm just wondering where we're going to fit all these people," said the guy. "We're taking in more refugees every day, and even with Cosmo and Ft. Condor taking in some of them too, Junon is starting to fill up."

"There isn't enough housing to go around," agreed a female MP. "Yesterday we almost had a riot in a soup kitchen. They had to call in my regiment to handle it."

"We're well aware of the housing issue," assured Reeve, "and I've got people working on expanding some areas of Lower Junon for now, until we can implement our colonization plan."

People began to murmur, and one of the SOLDIER operatives in the rear spoke up. "What colonization plan?"

Reeve pointed out an area of the map up to the far north, south of Icicle Inn at the foot of a big mountain range. "Over the past few months, we've been modifying the cave system inside the mountains surrounding the old mining village of Modeoheim. The village itself has been abandoned for some time, but the cave system runs deep and offers plenty of shelter for the numbers we're sustaining here in Junon."

"We're supposed to live in a cave?" someone shouted. "What kind of mining was going on there?"

"Mako extraction," answered Reeve, "but as I said, the town was abandoned long ago, when the last of it was mined out of the mountain. There's no danger of contamination; I've checked that extensively."

One of the Turks made a sarcastic sound in his throat. "How about we just toss on some animal skins and trade our guns for stone clubs?"

Zack glared at him across the distance. "How about you have a nice tall glass of 'shut the fuck up'?"

The entire assembly went so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. "_What_ did you just say to me, Fair?" sputtered the Turk, wide-eyed.

"You heard me," Zack said, standing up. His good eye glared coldly at the Turk, his damaged one now concealed beneath a black eyepatch he wore. "If you don't want to live in a cave, stay here and wait for the WEAPONS to pick you off. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut. Those are your choices."

"Everyone please just calm down," Reeve advised when the Turks started shouting insults.

"Yo, cool it," Reno hollered, getting his underlings' attention.

"Silence in the ranks," ordered Sephiroth when the SOLDIER operatives started tossing insults of their own.

Rufus approached the podium while Reno and Sephiroth tried to bring their people under control. "Everyone, take your seats and be quiet," instructed the president into the microphone. "Right _now_."

His stern order seemed to do some good. The assembly quieted and people reluctantly took their seats. Across the distance, Cissnei bit her lip and gazed at Zack with openly concerned brown eyes, and Elena watched him warily. Angeal patted his shoulder and quietly urged him to sit back down. Zack glared at his initial opponent as he took his seat, his expression promising an ass-kicking if the Turk dared to mouth off to him again.

"This colonization contingency is quickly becoming a necessity," Rufus explained, his blue-gray eyes sweeping the assembly. "I'd like to tell you we could hold this harbor indefinitely, but that may not be the case—and we _are_ running out of room. We make a far too attractive target to these creatures, if we stay here this way. Commissioner Tuesti?"

Rufus gave Reeve a nod and stepped aside for him. The engineer approached the podium and cleared his throat. "We have determined that these creatures rampaging over Gaia aren't just randomly attacking. They are purposely singling out populated human settlements. They ignore abandoned areas entirely, except perhaps to stomp on them in passing. This is an all-out attack on humanity, and we can blame Deepground's meddling with Omega for provoking this response from our planet."

The assembly went quiet again. Someone coughed and someone else sniffed. Cissnei looked around and stood up, regarding the two men on the podium with troubled brown eyes. "Sir, are you sure about this? Why would the planet want to kill off every human? Gaia _created_ us, after all…didn't it?"

"I can't pretend to know what the planet thinks or feels," Reeve admitted. "I don't think any of us can comprehend how it works, to be honest, but we have to look at the facts. These attacks began after we defeated a WEAPON designed to gather all life and deposit it elsewhere, in the event of a massive, global catastrophe. We stopped Omega from carrying out its purpose. I'm convinced that in doing so, we triggered the awakening of Gaia's other guardians, and now they've begun exterminating us because we've proven we're too big of a threat to our world, and to ourselves."

"So then we're screwed," Elena said bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest. "If we hadn't done anything, Omega would have taken the Lifestream and left us with a barren world. Now the planet wants us dead for defending ourselves. Is that the gist of it, Commissioner?"

"Yes, but it doesn't mean we're 'screwed'," Reeve insisted. "We can survive. We'll have to change the way we live, but we'll survive."

"When do you plan on making this move?" someone asked from the SOLDIER ranks.

"We haven't established a definite schedule, yet," answered Rufus. "Some of us will be going to Modeoheim, while others will be relocating to Cosmo Canyon. This will ensure that the human population is more evenly spread out, without scattering too broadly across the globe."

"What will that do to our military forces?" demanded a woman in the army ranks. "Are you going to divide SOLDIER and the Turks?"

"No," answered Rufus with a shake of his head. "We've agreed that SOLDIER will go with the Modeoheim colony, while the Turks and my cabinet will go to Cosmo Canyon. The regular militia units will be divided between us. This ensures that all colonists have ample military protection."

"Some people are sure to be upset over this," Reeve said, "but we've hashed it out and this plan makes the most sense. It will give us the best chance of survival, all around."

They went on to explain what to expect with the new colonies, when the time came to relocate. Through it all, Angeal watched Zack sidelong with a troubled expression on his face. Kunsel likewise bore a look of disquiet.

* * *

"Zack, wait up!"

Zack slowed his steps automatically and he shut his eye with a sigh. "What?"

Kunsel waited for a few people to pass them by in the corridor before speaking to him in a low voice. "What was that all about in there, man? That wasn't like you at all."

Zack shrugged and a sooty lock of hair fell over his good eye as he lowered his gaze. "I just wasn't in the mood to listen to that guy pissing and moaning, is all. Can't I lose my patience now and then like everyone else, without getting the third degree over it?"

"Well, sure…you're only human—or as human as we SOLDIERS still are, anyhow. I'm worried about you though." Kunsel patted him on the arm. "You've been avoiding everyone like the plague since…well…since…"

"Say it," Zack pressed. "Since I lost my folks and my eye. Yeah, I know."

"Okay." Kunsel shifted uncomfortably. "But can I ask _why_? We're your friends, Zack. Even if you don't want to talk to me, you should talk to Lt. Hewley. You're not going to counseling and you've probably got some trauma you need to be dealing with."

Zack grimaced and he directed his friend down another hallway, leading him away from the exit of the assembly room, so they could have a bit of privacy. "Look, I need to focus on what I know, right now," he tried to explain. "And I know combat. I need to figure out how to make my body work with me again. I can't tell you how confusing it is to try and compensate for the loss of an eye. I could barely take a piss on my own, the first time I tried after waking up from surgery. I couldn't even grab my junk to aim it!"

Kunsel winced. "I'm sorry, man. I guess…I can't really fault you if you blame us a little for this."

Zack stared at him. "Wha…_no_, I didn't say that! You guys got me out of there. You came with me when you found out Gongaga could be in trouble and I know you all did your best. If anyone is a failure here, it's me."

"Zack, you aren't a—"

"Don't," interrupted Zack with a sigh and a slashing motion of his hand. "I know in my head that I'm not, by my heart says something different. You're worried about me going to therapy sessions? Well, my therapy is sparring, right now. It's the only thing that distracts me. Just let me cope my own way, and stop thinking any of you did anything wrong. It's totally me, okay?"

Kunsel lowered his eyes again. "I guess. But hey, if sparring is your therapy, why not go a few rounds with me in the gym? I was thinking of getting some practice in anyhow."

"You?" Zack managed a weak grin—a mere ghost of the bright smiles he used to favor people with. "I don't believe it."

"It's true, man. I'm turning over a new leaf." Kunsel stuck his hands into his pockets and grinned back at him. "All this mess with the WEAPONS has me convinced I'd better hone my skills so I have a better chance of survival."

Zack considered the offer. "I haven't sparred with anyone at all since this happened. I'm not sure I'm ready to."

"Just gives me a fighting chance against you," quipped Kunsel. "Come on, Zack…socialize a little, even if you need to be fighting to do it."

The one-eyed lieutenant finally greed, albeit reluctantly.

* * *

Kunsel soon learned just how much rage his friend was keeping bottled up. He'd never been anywhere near as good as Zack in combat, but the other man had always pulled his punches when they sparred in the past. This time, Zack wasn't holding back and Kunsel sincerely doubted his injury was crippling his skills as much as Fair thought.

"Whoa, take it easy!" he yelled as he dove and rolled away from a downward sweep of Zack's broadsword.

He got to his feet, only to be forced to hop away again when the other man aimed a kick at his head. Zack hardly seemed to recognize him. There was a battle-lust in his single amethyst eye that Kunsel usually only saw when Zack was going up against an enemy. He had never seen such a killing look on his friend's face during a friendly duel.

"Zack, do you even recognize me?" Kunsel dodged another attack and he felt some relief when he saw Angeal and Genesis walking into the gym. "Uh, a little help here, Sirs?"

* * *

"Hmph. This rage looks hauntingly familiar to me," Genesis murmured to his companion as he and Angeal stopped to watch the scene before them. "He's blind, Angeal…and I don't mean that as a pun. Your puppy has gone rabid."

Angeal nodded grimly, his handsome face hard with resolution. Without a word, he started toward the embattled operatives, his gaze fixated on Zack. Genesis started to come with him, but Angeal turned and shook his head at him.

"Let me try, first."

The redhead nodded and hung back.

* * *

"_Zack. Zackary Fair, stop this_!"

He recognized the voice, but he couldn't place it. All he saw was his enemy. The Wutai insurgent kept dodging his attacks and babbling, not really offering much of a challenge. He was on a mission though, and he couldn't slack off. These rebels had bombed ShinRa facilities and if he didn't put a stop to them, they'd just do it again. He caught his opponent off-guard with an elbow to the face, and he grinned when he felt the visor crack under the blow. The man fell to the ground and yanked his helmet off, staring up at Zack with wide hazel eyes and a bloody nose.

Recognition stopped Zack's blade, just as he would have plunged it into the man's chest. He stopped and stared at him, confusion tearing through his mind as he became aware of his true surroundings again.

"Kunsel."

Someone put a hand on his shoulder and Zack reacted instinctively, twisting to slash at them. A heavy, massive blade blocked his strike and he looked up at the face of his mentor.

"Put the weapon down, Zack."

Zack complied reflexively, letting go of the sword and letting it clatter to the floor. His hands and arms tingled from the shock of the two blades colliding and he knew that if Angeal had used more force, he probably would have broken his blade in two. Zack looked down at Kunsel again and he swallowed, horrified by what he'd done.

"Kunsel…you okay? I'm so sorry, man." Zack offered a hand down to his friend and he half-expected him not to take it, but Kunsel was a forgiving sort. He took the offered help and got to his feet with a grunt, pinching his nose to stem the blood flow.

"Don't worry about it, Zack. You stopped yourself."

"I could have killed you." Zack turned to Angeal, in a pall of guilt and pain. "Ange…I think maybe you should arrest me."

Angeal's features softened, revealing his compassion for the younger man. He shook his head and he reached out to put both hands on Zack's shoulders. "Not over this. It's an isolated incident and this is the first time you've lashed out that way at anyone. Kunsel, are you willing to let this go? We can file a report if you—"

"I don't want to file a report," assured the Second hastily. "I'm the one that pushed you to spar with me, Zack. You warned me you weren't in a good place for it. We're good."

"I don't know how you can say that," sighed Zack. He walked over to the bench against the wall and he sat down on it heavily, putting his hands on his spread knees. He looked up at Genesis, finally noticing his silent presence. "What…no comment from you? That's new."

Genesis considered him for a few seconds before speaking. "I could tell you that you're being an idiot, cutting yourself off from the people you trust and refusing their comfort or help. I could tell you that if you allow this rage to take over, you're going to lose what makes you who you're ultimately meant to be, at the core."

Genesis smirked, ever so slightly. "I don't feel the need to over-extend a lecture on something I trust you already know." He turned on his heel and started to walk toward the gym exit. "Whatever darkness you're feeling inside, somewhere underneath it remains the real you…Zack the Puppy."

Zack and the others watched him go. Once they were alone in the gym again, Kunsel made the observation all three of them were thinking. "What does that guy do, practice these speeches in front of a mirror?"

* * *

After hearing about the incident with Kunsel—and being subsequently begged by Angeal not to put Zack under arrest for it, Sephiroth decided to have a few words alone with Lt. Fair. He sent Zack a message instructing him to meet up with him in the science department. When he arrived, Sephiroth took him down to the lower levels and the highly restricted areas, using his clearance to his advantage.

"What are we doing here?" Zack asked, sounding more tired than worried. Men and women in lab coats passed by them, but none of them dared question the general.

"You'll see."

Finally beginning to show a bit of disconcertment, the younger man looked around at the sterile, fluorescent-lit surroundings suspiciously. "You're not bringing me down here to let them try some kind of experimental surgery on my eye, are you?"

Sephiroth gave him a look that asked how he could possibly believe he of all people would attempt to push experimental treatments on anyone. Taking the hint, Zack shrugged and followed him through the sliding doors as they opened in response to his keycard. When they arrived in the laboratory of Sephiroth's choosing, Zack stopped in his tracks. Hojo and Hollander were both in there, working over WEAPON samples. Their presence wasn't what gave Zack pause, however. The body parts floating in the huge preservation tanks were what made him freeze up. The big, open lab was full of samples taken from the vanquished WEAPONS for study. There were bits ranging from chunks of the strange, chitin-like body armor to what appeared to be gems.

"What the hell are we doing down here, Sephiroth?" Zack didn't bother trying to keep his tone friendly or meek. He felt the rage inside of him stirring again as he looked upon the remains of the creatures responsible for his parents' death and the loss of his eye.

"When Emerald WEAPON attacked your home town, you were denied the chance to avenge your parents." Sephiroth led him over to one particular tank, where the remains of the creature in question's head floated, attached to a big clamp to hold it steady. The general considered the object for a moment, before turning to look at Zack again. His beautiful, almost angelic countenance bore a pensive frown. "You need closure."

Zack looked between Sephiroth and the head in the tank. "But it's dead, already. What are you getting at?"

Hojo and Hollander both took notice of them, and they were clearly wondering the same thing. "What are you doing down here?" Hojo demanded.

Sephiroth didn't take his eyes off Zack. "Professor Hollander, please come over here and decant this tank. I need access to this sample."

Hojo moved to intervene as Hollander went to obey. "Just a _minute_, boy! What do you intend to do with my sample?"

"It isn't 'your sample'," answered Sephiroth coolly, "it belongs to the organization and I'm making a military decision regarding its use. Hollander, proceed."

The bearded scientist approached the tank and he entered a code into the numberpad. Hojo tried to get in his way again, but Sephiroth shoved him away in a gesture that seemed casual for him, but was forceful enough to send Hojo sprawling to the floor with a cry. The general hardly blinked as he gave Hojo a simple, impassive warning.

"If you attempt to interfere again, I'll cut your head off." He lifted his silver sword slightly, just enough to make it sing and give Hojo incentive to stay out of the way.

"I'm reporting this," warned Hojo as he scrambled to his feet and stumbled away. "This breaks protocol!"

"Feel free," answered Sephiroth. "And good luck convincing them to act on your outrage. Guards, see to it that Hojo doesn't attempt to leave without an escort."

The men assigned to watch over the laboratory—especially the two dangerous geniuses running it—saluted Sephiroth crisply, as one. They had been hand-picked by him for the task, and he trusted them to keep both scientists in line.

"What are you trying to get me to do?" Zack asked in frustration, still at a loss.

The liquid finished draining from the tube and Hollander raised the glass, leaving the dripping head suspended in the open, held up only by the clamps attached to the pedestal. The head itself seemed tiny in comparison to the rest of the WEAPON'S massive body, but he'd only caught a glimpse of it before the attack. He could have mistaken the head for an oversized green helmet, if some part of him couldn't instinctively sense that it had once been alive. Still, it was almost as big as Zack's whole body, and he could see the blank red gemstones of its tiny eyes flickering from inside the slits in the armor.

"Climb onto the pedestal," Sephiroth suggested. "Draw your sword, and do what needs to be done."

Zack stared at him. "You're nuts."

The general's mouth twitched briefly. "The idea may seem insane to you right now, but grief is rarely rational. It wouldn't hurt to try."

Zack looked at the remains of the hated creature again, hesitating. "I know you're trying to help, but—"

"Zackary, don't make me resort to sentiments," warned Sephiroth. "This isn't a suggestion, it's an order. If it really is just a meaningless gesture, you lose nothing from doing it. Otherwise, you could stand to gain something you need. Now do as I've instructed."

Zack sighed heavily, recognizing the warning tone of Sephiroth's voice as a sign that there was no getting out of this. "Fine. Hold my damned sword for me."

Sephiroth took the weapon silently and waited as Zack climbed onto the pedestal with a grunt. It was wet from whatever fluid had filled the tube when it was lowered over the object, and Zack grimaced as it soaked into his pants where his knees pressed down. He got to his feet gingerly, staring at the head with a mixture of fascination, disgust and rage. He held his hand out for the sword and Sephiroth handed it over.

"So do you want me to say something to it before I start hacking, or what?"

"If you want to."

That was no help. Zack sighed again and he grasped the hilt of his weapon in both hands, hovering the blade over the left eye slit. He frowned. Now that he was doing it, this didn't seem as asinine as he'd first thought.

"Whenever you're ready, Zackary."

Zack glanced at his companion. "Just give me a minute." He looked back down at the thing that had taken his parents from him, staring into the oddly beady, gem-like eyes. He forgot about his audience and he spoke to it, the words forming on his lips without conscious thought.

"You took my family away from me, and you took half my sight. I don't know why the hell you came or what we ever did to you, and I don't care. I'm going to spend the rest of my life hunting your kind down, until you're all dead, or I am. I don't care which happens fist. Do you _hear me_? You're all _dead_!"

He drove his sword down, straight and true. There was a grinding feeling as the point drove into the slit and through the eye. There was no blood left in the head, but the pulp from what remained of the brains began to ooze out and Zack yanked the sword back to stab again…and again. Sephiroth watched silently in the background as he took out all his helpless rage and anger on the remains of the creature, and when Hollander and the security guards began to look nervously at him, the general shook his head and warned them to leave it be.

By the time Zack's rage was spent, the Emerald WEAPON'S head was little more than a mass of broken carapace and whitish-blue brain matter. He fell to his knees in the mess, panting heavily. When he lifted his gaze from the carnage and looked at Sephiroth again, his eye seemed clearer, having lost some of their bitterness. It would take time. He might never again be the same carefree person he once was, but at least now, he could _see_ the path to healing.

"I need a shower."

* * *

-To be continued


	30. Chapter 30

"Darkened Skies"

Chapter thirty: Beginning of the end

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

* * *

**_Author's note: _**_The "explicit" content has been censored out of this chapter, to comply with fanfiction net's restrictions._

**_*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters._**

* * *

Zack stood at the harbor with Cissnei, looking out over the water. For a while, the two of them just stayed there together in companionable silence, watching the whitecaps break over the surface of the sea. She finally turned to face him and looked up at him with a mixture of emotions in her expressive brown eyes.

"You give too much away," Zack told her with a slight, sidelong smirk.

Cissnei bit her lip. "Not really. Only when I want to." She hastily wiped her eyes and blinked, visibly struggling against tears.

Zack looked at her head-on, then. His gaze softened on her as his one good eye looked her up and down. "I thought Turks were supposed to be tougher than this."

"We are," she confessed, laughing softly. She composed herself and gave him a tremulous smile. "Zack, I'm really going to miss you. I know I hurt you when I broke things off, but we said we'd always be friends. We…_are_ friends, aren't we?"

He nodded, the salty ocean breeze blowing a rebellious lock of dark hair over his good eye. He tucked the strand away and forced a smile for her. "Always, cute stuff. You'll always be something special to me."

Cissnei lost the battle against her tears and her eyes welled up.

"Come on, don't do that," Zack said, reaching out to brush a falling tear away with the pad of his thumb. "You know I hate seeing girls cry."

She blurted another shaken laugh, but she couldn't stop weeping. He put his arms around her and held her close, petting her soft, brown hair gently. "So you guys really have to get out of dodge _today_, huh? They won't let you hang around for a little longer?"

She shook her head, resting her cheek against his chest. "No. The president wants to get our colonists organized and settled in as soon as possible. He doesn't like even a little chaos, you know."

Zack snorted. "Man, that guy's uptight." He nuzzled her hair softly, shutting his eye as he memorized her scent. "But hey, we'll see each other again."

"You bet." She nodded, and she squeezed him tight around the waist. "I love you, Zack."

"Then ditch the Turks and Elena and stay here with us," he teased, understanding how she really meant it.

"Trying to poach my woman, Fair?"

Zack and Cissnei both turned at the sound of Elena's voice, coming up behind them from the harbor entrance. Fortunately, she didn't look angry.

"I dated her first," Zack reminded, but he released the brunette and stepped back. "But just so you know, I've got a hug for you too, if you want it."

Elena seemed to consider the offer before shrugging and grinning at him. "What the hell. I guess I can risk the boy cooties."

Zack chuckled a little and gave the blonde woman a hug. When they parted, he sighed against the feeling of melancholy he felt. "You know, you could _both _defect from the Turks and stay here with me. I'd protect you."

Cissnei stepped forward again to cup the back of his head and draw it down for a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad to see some of the old Zack coming out again."

He shrugged and lowered his gaze, grinning in a manner that was almost like his previous self. "I guess he's a little hard to get rid of."

Elena grabbed his hand and shook it. "You take care of him then, Zack. I didn't care much for the guy that came out after Gongaga, to tell you the truth."

"Yeah, me either," sighed Zack. "But I think _he's_ part of me now, too." Genesis had him pegged just right, and Zack wondered where the man got his insight. Between Gen and Kunsel, Zack sometimes wondered if people really could have psychic powers.

They parted ways and Zack watched as the two women walked away, holding hands. He wondered when he'd see them again and he hoped they'd stay safe.

* * *

"What makes you think I'll agree to this?" Demanded Rufus as he stood over Lazard's desk, scowling.

"I would think you'd be happy to agree with it," reasoned the older sibling, tapping his pen on his desk absently. He twirled the writing tool between long, elegant fingers and scanned his data screen absently, the light reflecting off the lenses of his glasses. "Think for a moment; you really are getting the better deal, here."

"How do you figure?" challenged the president. He took a seat at the other side of the desk and frowned at Lazard. "Hollander is brilliant, true, but Hojo is—"

"Hojo is an egotistical, obsessed sociopath who may very well have ended life as we know it," snapped the SOLDIER director harshly, glaring at him. "And he's intransigent, to boot. Hojo still has a few tricks up his sleeve and please bear it in mind that whomever takes him in will have the responsibility of _constantly_ monitoring every move he makes. If you really want that burden, I'm happy to trade with you. The general may not agree, however. You can take it up with him."

Rufus faltered. "Hojo is all yours."

Lazard smirked without humor. "I thought you'd see the light."

* * *

That evening, after Rufus and the Turks departed for Cosmo Canyon, Reeve paid a visit to Chaos and Vincent in their stasis chamber. He sighed as he looked up at the being floating in the tank. It seemed like he _always_ sighed whenever he looked upon Chaos. He couldn't decide whether it was better or worse that he'd gone into hibernation as Chaos, rather than Vincent. It would have been a nice comfort to come down here and look at his sleeping friend, rather than the "demon" he hosted in his body. At the same time, Reeve thought it would break his heart all the more to do so.

"But you aren't really a 'demon'," reasoned the engineer to the oblivious creature in the tank. "Not in the literal sense. Oh, who the hell am I kidding? You were born of humanity's sins and regrets. That's a demon by definition, right? I'm afraid I'm not quite the theologist Rhapsodos and some other people are. I'm sure Lucrecia had a much better understanding of your origins than I ever could."

He lightly tapped the glass before tracing patterns over it, his eyes roving over the strange, spiked armor hugging Chaos' body. "You know, I kind of miss you too, Chaos. When you aren't scaring the ever-loving piss out of people, you aren't bad. Or maybe I just feel that way because you're a part of Vincent, now. He has to be in there, still. I'm sure of it."

Reeve's phone began to vibrate, startling him so badly he jumped. He dug it out of his blazer and he almost dropped it on the floor, before putting it to his ear and answering it. "Tuesti here."

"Reeve, we had an appointment to discuss the migration to Modeoheim next week," Lazard said. "Have you forgotten?"

Reeve checked his watch. "Damn, I _did_ forget. Sorry about that. I'll be in your office in a few minutes."

"All right. Until then."

The call ended and Reeve put the phone away again. "Well guys, I hope you don't mind getting manhandled a little, because you're definitely coming with us when we move. I'm not about to leave you here to be possibly crushed by any WEAPONS that might take it into their heads to come blasting."

He started to turn, but something caught his eye and Reeve froze, staring up at the stasis tank uncertainly. He could have sworn that for a moment, Chaos' eyelids flickered as if he heard him. Feeling a sudden chill, the engineer hastily left the room.

* * *

"Easy, easy, _easy_!" Reeve grimaced as the workers manipulated Chaos' stasis tank and it wobbled precariously as the machinery shifted it. "I don't want to see a single crack, understand?"

"Yes Sir," hollered the worker operating the grab lift. "Sorry! I'll try to be more careful."

"Yes, please be more careful," agreed the engineer with a wary look at the creature floating peacefully inside. Maybe it was his imagination playing tricks on him again, but he thought he saw Chaos' left wing move a little, as if he was stretching a little in his sleep to get more comfortable.

_~Why the hell do I find that cute?~_

Reeve decided that perhaps when they finished the relocation to Modeoheim, it might be a good idea for him to look into talking to a shrink. For now, he just wanted to make sure Chaos/Vincent got safely secured aboard Cid's airship and transported to Modeoheim with the tank fully intact.

"What's the status, Tuesti?" Cid asked him, coming up beside him to watch curiously. "That thing ain't gonna come alive on my ship and bust her up, is it?"

"No," promised Reeve…though he wondered if Chaos could choose to wake from his comatose state if he truly wanted to. "It's perfectly safe—as long as the capsule stays intact."

Cid grumbled uncomfortably. "You'd better be right about that, Reeve. Anything happens to my ship while I'm transporting that thing, I'm holding you responsible."

"Do you mind?" Reeve said, becoming annoyed. "There's a human being inside of there, too. I'd appreciate it if you'd stop referring to him as 'thing'."

Cid frowned at him. "You're awful touchy about it. Don't forget that _thing_ in there was s'posed to go on a killing spree to snatch up souls for Omega. Just because you and your buddy Valentine got it to cooperate doesn't mean it wouldn't turn on us in a heartbeat, if it ever wakes up."

Reeve glared at him. "Let's just concentrate on getting him secured at Modeoheim, Captain. The sooner we finish this, the sooner you can leave for Ft. Condor."

He had to admit that he was a little bit resentful of Cid's decision to join AVALANCHE instead of going with them, but they couldn't _force_ the man to join them. At least Highwind was being gracious enough to help him with this transport—seeing as the other pilots were too afraid to fly Chaos anywhere.

* * *

After the weekend passed, they began transporting the remaining population of Junon Harbor to the fortified shelter in Modeoheim. Sadly, they got reports that Bone Village was attacked over the weekend and Lazard sent Sephiroth to scout for survivors and confirm whether they could still fuel up there, while the air convoy continued to transport people from the harbor. The general reported that there were no survivors. The diggers that had stubbornly remained in Bone Village had all been slaughtered, but the fuel pumps were still operational.

Every colonist was given a copy of rules to abide by, and the penalties for disobeying those rules could be quite stiff, depending on how badly a person could endanger the population by breaking them. The security and survival of the colony was dependant upon everyone's cooperation. People going outdoors in the daytime without authorization ran the risk of attracting the attention of any WEAPONS that might pass by. Brawling was punishable by jail time and Reeve had designed a holding area for criminals and troublemakers for just such a possibility. They couldn't afford fighting or rowdy behavior to go unpunished, in such a setting.

People were encouraged to volunteer for jobs and recruitment for military positions was always open, even if the only positions available were non-combat ones. After the things Hojo had done, Lazard and Sephiroth both agreed that the need for more SOLDIER operatives wasn't pressing enough to risk the chance of him playing too freely with anyone's DNA. SOLDIER recruitment was closed until such time as a need arose to revise the decision. They kept Hojo strictly regulated to the study and research of the WEAPONS—a fitting task, considering he was largely to blame for their awakening and subsequent rampaging.

Of course, when Genesis saw the little cubby that would serve as his and Angeal's sleeping quarters, he had some issues.

* * *

"Far be it from me to act like a Diva," muttered Genesis Rhapsodos as he stood with his lover before the cubby, "but this isn't acceptable."

"It's not that bad, Gen," murmured Angeal. "We've slept in worse beds, before. We've slept on _bare ground_, for Gaia's sake."

Genesis sighed and combed gloved fingers through his auburn hair, his eyes sweeping over the little cubby with faint disgust. "I was just hoping for something at least _half_ the size of our quarters in Junon. I've learned to live without luxury, Angeal, but this could become a permanent arrangement."

He looked at the brunet operative and he smirked. "Not to mention, your bulk alone is going to take up the majority of that bunk."

"We could always request separate cubbies," suggested Angeal reluctantly, seeing what he meant.

Genesis gave him a _look_. "Bite your tongue. This is going to be miserable enough, as it is."

Angeal smiled at him. It wasn't Gen's style to admit he slept better beside him, but he still suffered terrible nightmares from time to time, which led to night terrors that only Angeal could soothe. Angeal cast a furtive look around to be sure nobody was in immediate visual or hearing range, before leaning closer to his lover and murmuring into his ear.

"You could just sleep on top of me, then. Why not give it a try, before we write it off as a lost cause?"

Genesis turned his head to regard him with intrigued, aqua eyes. "I believe that could be arranged."

Zack came into the military "barracks" at that moment. "Hey guys, have you checked out those gardens? Reeve really put his back into it, when he designed this place!"

Genesis sighed. "You're excited about the ability to grow vegetables in a cave? You _do_ realize this means we aren't going to see the light of day very much, anymore? We're going to have to ration everything carefully, and certain products that we've all come to rely upon will no longer be available, once we've used up the last of them. I for one am going to miss condoms."

"Why?" Zack asked with sincere puzzlement. "You two only keep to each other and it isn't like you can get pregnant."

"But there's a certain mess factor involved," explained Genesis. "Do I _really_ need to go into details?"

Zack made a face. "No man…you really don't. I think I get it. But still, it could be a lot worse. We'll have food and clean water, and there's even a working plumbing system and electricity. There are people out there in the world right now that don't have _any_ of that."

"Well, you'll have to forgive me for failing to muster your sense of optimism."

Zack sobered a little. "Look guys, I'm really trying, here. Do me a favor and try to pretend this doesn't suck so much, because I don't want to think about it too much and end up going back to that place I was in a while ago, you know?"

"Of course," agreed Angeal. "We'll focus on the bright side…_won't we_, Genesis?"

The redhead snorted. "Look who you're asking…but all right. I suppose I'll try to bullshit my way through it."

"Cool." Zack smiled a little.

"Why don't we have a look at these gardens you were talking about?" offered Angeal. "I've got to admit, I'm a little curious."

"That's the spirit."

* * *

While Zack played "tour guide" to his mentor and Genesis, Sephiroth was surveying the area. Night had fallen, so it was relatively safe for him to be out on his own, so long as he kept an alert eye out for any signs of WEAPONS. They were still working on the security and alert systems, but at least now they could detect WEAPONS on scanners, before they came within visual range. Sephiroth kept a mini version of such a scanner strapped securely to his wrist as he flew around the mountain range surrounding Modeoheim.

He could just make out the ruins of Icicle Inn when he crested the top of the range and looked to the north. Beyond that was Mt. Gaia and the Northern Crater. He mentally reviewed the landscape, mapping the area out in his head. One of the most important strategies in combat—be it for defense or offense—was to know one's surroundings. Sephiroth intended to learn every crack, crevice and rock of this area, by the time the colony was settled in.

As he flew around to another peak adjacent to the entrance of the cave network, he spotted something that sparked his curiosity. There, high above the ground in the mountain, was a small opening. He flew over to it to investigate, readying his sword as he landed at the entrance and ducked inside. His eyes glowed and his pupils dilated as they adjusted to the darkness. Even with his enhanced vision, he had difficulty making anything out inside the blackness of the tunnel entrance, so he procured a small flashlight from a pocket and he turned it on.

Peering around cautiously, he walked into the tunnel and he discovered that it opened into a small cave, eventually. The ceiling was high enough to allow him to stand up, and as he studied the interior of it, Sephiroth came to realize that it was bigger than the sleeping cubbies inside the shelter. It could probably fit up to four people, in fact, and it might make a convenient nook for privacy.

Pleased with the thought of having somewhere to go and get away from others, Sephiroth almost smiled.

* * *

It took some adjusting, for certain. Now they had even less privacy than before, and it was difficult enough to be discreet at all times without being crammed into a cave with dozens of other men. The SOLDIER barracks were separate from the regular military and civilian sleeping quarters, and they were divided by rank, as well. This meant separate bunker rooms for Thirds and Seconds, but because the only Firsts remaining were Sephiroth and the other officers, they were assigned to the same room as the Seconds.

Their first night in their new "home" started out terrible, in Genesis' opinion. As nice as it sounded to sleep on top of his larger companion, when it came time to bed down, he learned that reality was a bit different. Angeal had angles and bumps that ranged from uncomfortable to painful as they squirmed on top of the thin mattress and tried to settle into a position that worked for both of them.

"Your elbow is digging into my rib," complained Angeal with a grunt as the redhead shifted.

"Then move your leg," insisted Genesis, "It's threatening to crush my balls."

Angeal obligingly tried to move said leg without harming his companion's balls in the process, and he struck his knee on the rocky wall. He hissed a rare curse and went still, waiting for the pain to fade. On top of him, Genesis grimaced in sympathy and eased carefully into a less awkward position. With a bit of finesse, they both managed to settle into a more agreeable position and Genesis laid his head on Angeal's shoulder with a sigh. Angeal stroked the redhead's bare back, waiting for the ache in his knee to go away completely.

"See?" he whispered. "This isn't that terrible."

"Sex would make it better," whispered Genesis almost petulantly. "At least a good orgasm would take my mind off how blasted uncomfortable this is."

Angeal couldn't find it in himself to be annoyed with his companion. In fact, he was having trouble not laughing at him. "You can really be a brat, Genesis."

"You think I was joking?"

Genesis' hand started to burrow between their bodies under the covers, sliding over Angeal's stomach and further. The bigger man was wearing a pair of winter pajamas, complete with a button-up, black fleece shirt and matching bottoms. Genesis, on the other hand, wore only a pair of deep red track pants to bed.

"What are you doing?" whispered Angeal with a frown, squirming a little as the other man's exploration moved further south.

"I intend to invoke the power of orgasm," answered Genesis in a purr, "and I'd appreciate it if you would reciprocate. I need my beauty sleep, too."

"Gen, we're surrounded by other—mph!"

Genesis' kiss muffled the protest and Angeal forgot what he was about to say as the moist, hot tongue darted into his mouth. The deft, skilled hand slipped under the waistline of his pants, provoking a soft gasp of alarm.

"Stop being such a prude," warned Genesis in a bare whisper against his lips, breaking the kiss momentarily. "Do you _really_ think other couples are going to refrain from this sort of activity, indefinitely? We could be stuck here for the rest of our lives."

"Well, no," answered Angeal weakly as his companion found his target.

"Then why in Minerva's name should _we_?" insisted Genesis with a persuasive stroke that made the bigger man groan. He traced Angeal's lips with his tongue before adding; "we have as much right to fuck as they do."

Angeal blushed predictably at the crude statement. "But we've only been here for a day," he reminded in a harsh whisper, "and in case you haven't noticed, there isn't a lot of room to maneuver in this bunk!"

"Then we settle for frottage, until we can get away somewhere for a proper pounding," answered Genesis.

Angeal was very much aware of the people so close by, tossing and turning in their efforts to get some sleep as well. He heard someone begin to snore and he envied their ability to fall asleep so quickly. Despite his reluctance to give away what they were doing in the dark together, he couldn't deny that his companion's efforts were turning him on in a big way. When Gen's teeth tugged on his earlobe, his hips lifted off the mattress a little and he growled softly in his throat.

"And there he is," chuckled Genesis breathlessly in approval. "I knew I could bring out the beast in you, given enough time."

Angeal shifted beneath him and worked his hand down to return the favor, even as he told himself he shouldn't be fooling around like this on the first night here. He could only imagine how awkward it would be if the other Soldiers around them started to pick up on what they were doing.

"I hope we don't regret this," muttered Angeal as he slipped a hand into Gen's pants and sought out the treasure within. His lust increased further when the redhead made one of those glorious sounds of pleasure and surrender against his lips.

"Careful," admonished Genesis when the big man abruptly shifted beneath him and rolled over, changing their positions and pinning him beneath.

"I thought you wanted to play," reminded Angeal huskily.

The aqua gaze glowed up at him and he saw the flash of Genesis' teeth as the redhead gave him a feral smile. "Oh, indeed. I'm surprised that you banished the ninny so quickly, though."

The reminder that he'd just been lecturing Gen about their potential audience made Angeal hesitate, his lust cooling a bit. He was so used to having Genesis all to himself in the privacy of their old sleeping quarters, it was easy to lose his head for a moment and forget they weren't alone.

"Damn, I shouldn't have said anything," muttered Genesis.

He started stroking Angeal off again, his handsome face determined and inviting. His voice was pitched so low that only a SOLDIER operative or someone with similarly enhanced hearing could possibly hear it, and it was unlikely that the other operatives in the bunker could make out his words unless they listened right outside the privacy screen.

"Don't think about it, Angeal. Forget about everything else and just feel. I want you."

Angeal found it impossible to resist such a simplistic, passionate statement. He rocked his hips gently, synchronizing with the other man's touch. He balanced carefully on one elbow and slipped a hand into Genesis' pants again as he lowered his head and kissed him on the mouth. His breath quickened with pleasure and lust as they pleasured each other in the darkness, their tongues alternatively wrestling, caressing and thrusting. He had to break the kiss after a few moments to breathlessly warn Genesis to check the volume of his moans, when it occurred to him that they were getting a little obvious. A short while later, he forgot himself again as the beautiful tension reached its peak.

"Genesis," groaned Angeal, contradicting his earlier admonishments against the volume of his companion's voice. He clenched his jaw as he started to orgasm, and his companion followed suit.

"Dude, keep it down," Zack's voice whispered from the cubby next to theirs.

The afterglow was spoiled by the realization that his "little brother" had heard his blurted expression of pleasure. Angeal buried his head against Genesis' shoulder, his face positively on fire with embarrassment.

"Shoot me."

* * *

_Nibelheim, 13 days later:_

Tifa carried another round of mugs over to the table in the corner of the tavern's cellar, keeping a careful eye on the patrons' condition. Mr. Grauspache was getting a bit too tipsy, and she decided this would be his last lager for the night.

"No more after this, okay?" she warned him as she set the frosty mug down before him. "You've reached your limit."

"Have a heart, little Lockheart," he hiccupped, "there's not much left to do but drink, these days!"

"Even so," she answered calmly, "the counsel has rules against allowing any villagers to get too drunk, outside their own homes. You know that, Mr. Grauspache. Last one."

The bearded man grumbled, but he didn't say anything more. His companions raised their mugs to each other, laughing with false cheer and trying to pretend that life was normal. Tifa walked away from the table with the now empty tray balanced on one hand, and she noticed that they were running low on ice when she went behind the makeshift bar they'd recently built in the cellar.

"Micah," she called to the other barmaid, "I need to draw some water from the tower, so we can make more ice. I'll be back soon."

The blonde barmaid nodded and pushed a groping male hand away from her skirt. Trusting her to handle herself without her for a while, Tifa grabbed the water bucket and went up the stairs leading out of the cellar. She supposed they _could_ allow patrons to use the common room of the tavern during the night hours, but her father strongly advised against it. Shutters were to be drawn at all times when lights were on, to avoid giving it away that there were people still living in Nibelheim.

Tifa stepped outside the tavern and she took a moment to stretch, looking up at the semi-clouded night sky. He combed her fingers through her long, dark hair absently and she sighed, searching the village for any sign of a certain, protective young blond man.

"Cloud, please be okay."

He was out hunting, again. He was one of the few still brave enough to risk it. The village still had _some_ livestock, but they had been forced to slaughter a few milking cows to put meat on the table and keep families fed. He'd always been a good shot with the rifle, and he knew how to handle a sword if any dangerous animals closed the distance before he could bring them down with the firearm. The trouble was, there had been recent sightings of a huge yellow and orange WEAPON patrolling the land around Mt. Nibel. Rifle bullets and a broadsword couldn't do much against such a creature, no matter how skilled the wielder.

Tifa made it to the water tower, and she filled the bucket before making use of the Ice materia her father had passed down to her. It wasn't strong enough to use as an attack spell, but it still had enough power to freeze water. She activated the spell and when the water in the bucket was frozen solid, she picked it up to carry it back inside, where it would be chipped away to make ice cubes. As she crossed the town square and approached the tavern, she heard the sound of running footsteps hitting the cobbled street behind her.

Tifa turned to see Cloud sprinting toward her, his face flushed with exertion and his eyes wide and alarmed. "Tifa!" he panted, coming to a stop before her. He was forced to put his hands on his knees and bend over for a moment to catch his breath.

"Are you okay?" she asked in concern, rubbing his shoulder.

Cloud shook his spiked head and straightened up again. He grabbed the hilt of his sword with one hand and grabbed her arm with the other. His rifle was nowhere to be seen on him—possibly dropped somewhere while he was running.

"Cloud! What are you doing?" Tifa impulsively resisted as he started to pull her toward her family's house.

"It's coming," he panted urgently. "Get…underground! Saw it!"

"B-but we have to warn the village," she reminded him, her heart leaping in her chest.

"You go," he urged. "Get your parents! I'll ring the bell!"

Tifa stared at the darkened horizon and listened intently, searching for any evidence to back his claim. "Are you sure it's coming this way, Cloud?"

He nodded. "Positive! Who…lit a…fire?"

Tifa turned to follow his pointing with her eyes and she cursed when she saw that the smoke billowing from the chimney of the Wagner home. "Oh, no! Mrs. Wagner must have forgotten again! I'll go and put it out."

"Too late for that," he urged, "Everyone needs to hide…now!"

She swallowed hard, her knees shaking with sudden fear. She refused to allow herself to go into hysterics, though. There was still a chance the creature would pass them by, if they got everyone hidden fast enough.

"Go ring the bell," she told him. "I'll go and help Mrs. Wagner get to her basement, before I go to mine."

He nodded and ran to the alarm bell in the center of town, while Tifa hurried into Mrs. Wagner's house to put out the fireplace and try to get the befuddled old woman to safety.

* * *

They had been collecting survivors from all around the world whenever possible, relying scanners to detect human life forms. Each night, Reeve did a broad-range search with the improved scanning system he'd devised. Satellite relay still worked and he took advantage of that to create the more advanced, powerful system. It enabled him to search whole territories, without the need to physically travel to the areas. His schedule had been keeping him too busy to scan excessively, but he recalled his interest in investigating Nibelheim and when he performed a scan of the area and found life signs, he immediately went to report it.

"I'm getting life readings in Nibelheim," Reeve told Lazard. "I'm also getting some fainter life readings to the east, near Bone Village."

"How strong are they?" Lazard kept his eyes on the reports he was reading over but Reeve knew the man could read and listen at the same time.

"Scanners indicate multiple life forms in Nibelheim," answered the engineer. "The signs I've picked up near Bone Village are weak, but still strong enough to bear investigation."

"Send out search parties to Nibelheim and Bone Village, then. Contact our allies and see if they can lend aid. We may not have enough room to transport many people alone."

Reeve nodded. "I'll get the word out right away."

* * *

As he flew with a rescue convoy to Nibelheim, Reeve considered the blank journal he'd salvaged during the last rescue he'd been a part of. He opened it up and flipped through the empty pages, pondering over the future, and whether future generations would have a clear history of the things that had happened, or if it would end up muddied like so many events often did. Written history only dated back so far. In order to prevent repeating the mistakes of the past, it was important that people understand it. Without full knowledge of what those mistakes entailed, people might just be doomed to echo them in the future.

"Excuse me," Reeve said to a young woman in standard military uniform, sitting across from him, "Would you happen to have a pen I could borrow, Miss?"

* * *

_I am part of an organization that once used Mako energy for everything. We used it as an energy source. We used it to manufacture weapons. We used it to create useable materia. We used it to enhance human beings and create the ultimate soldiers…living weapons that made it possible for ShinRa Inc to stand unrivaled in military might. The president of the company even forged a new operation in secret, so greedy for world domination that Mako energy, SOLDIER and wealth weren't enough for him. In his attempt to create even more powerful soldiers, he created Deepground…right beneath our feet under Midgar. Not even his sons knew about it. The Deepground soldiers were given much higher concentrated treatments of Mako—to the point where they needed regular infusions just to live._

_None of us knew about Mako Reactor 0 and the superhuman army being bred beneath it. Well, almost none of us. Of all the high-ranking company executives, only Scarlet, Heidegger, Hollander and Hojo were aware of the Deepground project. Perhaps if we had known it was going on, we could have stopped the disaster that put the world into the sorry state that it's in now. Perhaps if someone had killed President Shinra, Hojo and Hollander years ago, the rest of the world would be at peace today. Some might call it poetic justice that President Shinra and Heidegger were amongst the first casualties in the Deepground event._

_As it stands, we barely survived the Deepground uprising and the summoning of Omega. You see, without Lifestream, life itself isn't possible. Omega nearly ascended and if it had, it would have taken all departed souls and the Lifestream with it. With the help of Vincent Valentine and the entity called Chaos that he harbors inside of him, we defeated Deepground and stopped Omega. Afterwards, Vincent went dormant and left Chaos in control of his body. That would have been a very bad thing for all, considering that Chaos feeds on spirit energy. Fortunately, the "demon" was exhausted by the final battle and he chose to go into hibernation. _

_Civilization moved on and began to rebuild, but our problems weren't over. The planet now felt threatened and we began to get reports of strange activity at the Northern Crater. The teams we sent to investigate never returned and it wasn't long before we discovered why._

_The planet still felt threatened. Omega was gone, but the planet was still quite capable of creating and releasing WEAPONS…creatures designed to protect Gaia from threat. Now it seems the planet considered US the threat and the solution? To obliterate human kind. Whole cities and communities were wiped off the map as the first WEAPONS rampaged over Gaia, killing everything and everyone in their path. Survivors banded together to fight the creatures and seek shelter but before long, we humans became an endangered species._

_We're now spread out…scattered over the globe in small, remote clusters. Our forces are divided, so that we don't make a large, easy target. Director Lazard leads SOLDIER in Modeoheim. President Rufus is in charge of the Turks in Cosmo Canyon and Commander Wallace and Captain Highwind command AVALANCHE in Fort Condor. The cave system beneath these towns provide somewhere for people to hide if a WEAPON attacks and we've been gathering survivors across the world and bringing them to these sanctuaries. _

_We're at war with our own planet. I don't know if there will be any future generations to read my journals, but history must be recorded so that mistakes of the past aren't repeated. Hope is a difficult thing to hold onto, these days._

_-Reeve Tuesti_

* * *

-Continued in "Ashen Skies"


End file.
